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Pacific Northwest 
Swine Husbandry 

Portland Union Stock Yards Company 
North Portland, Oregon 



Illllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllli 



PACIFIC NORTHWEST 
SWINE HUSBANDRY 

Compiled by 

L. R. McGEE 

REVISED EDITION 

Like the previous edition of the PACIFIC 
NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY, this 
little booklet is compiled with the intention of 
providing data for those who are new in the 
breeding and fattening of swine for market. 

It is not by any means a complete guide, but 
is intended to be used as a dictionary of refer- 
ence to bulletins and books that are complete 
and that are written by Agricultural and Swine 
Husbandry experts. 

Swine production is not only increasing rap- 
idly in the Pacific Northwest alone in numbers, 
but is also increasing in the quality of swine 
produced. This fact is evinced by the better 
dressing yield and also by the exhibits of fat 
swine at the annual PACIFIC INTERNA- 
TIONAL LIVE STOCK EXPOSITION. 

The farmer who goes into the raising of 
swine for market purposes cannot but help to 
get good returns upon his money and time 
invested. 

Portland Union Stock Yards Co. 

North Portland, Oregon 

WM. H. DAUGHTREY, President 

F. J. HAGENBARTH, Vice President 

O. M. PLUMMER, Secretary-Treasurer 

L. R. McGEE, Assistant Secretary 



llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllli 



o 



^ 



COPYRIGHT 1915 

3Y PORTLAND UNION STOCK YARDS CO. 

NORTH PORTLAND, OREGON 



•CI,A397728 



PRINTED BY 

JAMES. KERNS 8, ABBOTT CO. 

9TH AND FLANDERS STS. 

PORTLAND OREGON 



'l^i 



APR 27 fyi5 




A Shady Pasture. 



Foreword 



We are often asked for help and advice along live-stock lines. In many cases 
we refer the writer to the Agricultural Experiment Stations and to other sources 
of authority. That the reader may have at first hand the sources of good informa- 
tion, we add the lists of experiment stations, books, etc., below. 



AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 

Any of the following Agricultural Experiment Stations will be glad to help 
you with your feeding and other swine husbandry problems, if you will write 
them. Use the one for the State in which you live: 

Oregon Agricultural College, Corvallis, Oregon. 

State College of Washington, Pullman, Washington. 

Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station, Moscow, Idaho. 

Montana Agricultural College, Bozeman, Montana. 

Utah Agricultural College, Logan, Utah. 

California Agricultural Experiment Station, Davis, California. 



BOOKS TO READ. 

Every farmer and farm manager should have a library. Get all the Agricul- 
tural Experiment Station Reports mentioned herein, and read them. Learn how 
to balance the rations you feed. Take some good general live-stock papers and a 
good market paper also. Some good books everyone should read: 

"Feeds and Feeding," Henry; "Swine," Deitrich; "The Hog Book," Dawson; 
"The Book of Alfalfa," Coburn; "Breedingof Farm Animals," Marshall; "Alfalfa," 
Joseph Wing; "Diseases of Animals," Mayo; "ForageandFiber Crops in America," 
Hunt; "Swine of America," Coburn; "Productive Swine Husbandry," Day. These 
books and others may be obtained from the Reporter Publishing Co., North 
Portland, Oregon. 

FARMERS' BULLETINS. 

Many of the articles in this booklet refer to Farmers' Bulletins. These may 
be had by writing to your Congressman, asking for the number of bulletin in which 
you are interested. 

BREEDS. 

All breeds look alike to the packers, provided they are well matured and 
properly conformed. Neither the Duroc, Poland or Berkshire brings a premium 
over the other, provided the grade and finishing are the same. That being the 
case, raise the breed that your fancy dictates. 

Breeds in general differ little in economy of production. Certain breeds have 
a reputation for great prolificacy, but there are strains within the most prolific 
breeds that are no more prolific than the average of some breeds that are not 
favored with such a reputation. 

All breeds should have certain characteristics, such as conformation, quality, 
proficiency, etc. 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 5 

CONFORMATION. 

A perfect hog should, when viewed from the back, front or sides, resemble 
a parallelogram as nearly as possible. Back, belly and sides should be straight 
and parallel, with ribs well sprung, head short and face dished, wide between eyes, 
full jowl, rounded at the sides, ears thin and soft and neck short and arched. Legs 
wide apart to give plenty of room for lungs and heart. Avoid a swaying back and 
see that the hams are wide as the shoulders, and drop square to the tail, well 
rounded to the stifle. Must stand well on toes and not down on claws. Above all, 
remember that the packer doesn't buy daylight and the less of that seen between 
the hog's belly and the ground the better. Color does not bring price, either; 
does not matter whether black, red or white, conformation is what counts. 



PROLIFICACY. 

One of the most important things for the hog raiser is to select his brood sows 
with their prolificacj^ in view. If a sow will continually farrow but 4 or 5 pigs it is 
evident that it is not nearly so profitable as the one that will farrow 8 or 10 pigs. 
Prolificacy besides being a breed characteristic may be greatly controlled by 
proper feeding and care of the sow. 



QUALITY. 

The term "quality" in a hog is considered in the same sense as quality in a 
piece of cloth. If the cloth is coarse and made of poor material the quality is poor. 
The hog is considered to be of good or poor quality in the same sense. If the ap- 
pearance of the hog is that of smoothness and refinement rather than of coarseness 
and ungainliness, the quality is good. The hair should be fine, the skin smooth 
and fine in texture, the bone as indicated in the snout, head and legs should be 
smooth and not too large. The flesh, too, should be fine in grain and show 
considerable firmness with elasticity which indicates a large proportion of lean 
meat. The best hog for the farmer should show well developed proportion, size, 
prolificacy and quality. 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 




Berkshires. 



Breeds 



BERKSHIRES. 

Originated in England; considered a medium between the lard and bacon hog. 
Long body, strong, well arched back, even width and good depth of body, broad 
heavy hams, light, smooth, well-set shoulders, excellent feet and legs, snout short 
and coarse. Ears upright, color black; may have six white points. — ^Record Asso- 
ciation; American Berkshire Association, Frank D. Springer, Secretary, Spring- 
field, Illinois. 



CHESTER WHITES, (O. I. C.) 

An American white hog. Size varies; fat or lard type; body blocky, hams 
heavy, shoulders smooth, broad back, stands well upon its feet. Snout medium, 
medium dish, tapering, ears fancy. — Record Associations; Chester White Record 
Association, Rochester, Indiana, F. F. Moore, Secretary. 



DUROC JERSEYS. 

American origin. Color red; short heavy body, legs medium, lard type, 
snout medium, slightly dished, ears fancy, back broad and well arched, thick 
sides and belly, very hardy and prolific. Grow rapidly. — ^Record Associations: 
American Duroc Jersey Swine Breeders Association, T. B. Pearson, Secretary, 
Thorntown, Ind.; National Duroc Jersey Swine Breeders Association, J. R. Pfan- 
der. Secretary, Peoria, 111. 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 




Chester Whites (O. I. C.) 



HAMPSHIRES. 
(Thin Rind.) 

Of English origin. Often called a dual-purpose hog — ^that is, both a lard and 
bacon type. Characterized as follows: Thrifty hardy hog with good constitution, 
thin skin and of good quality, rapid grower, good feeder, black in color with a 
white belt rimning around the front part of the body, including the shoulders and 
front legs. In prolificacy they stand high. — Record Association: American Hamp- 
shire (Thin Rind) Swine Record Association, E. C. Stone, Secretary, Armstrong, 
Illinois. 

POLAND CHINAS. 

Originated in Ohio between 1830 and 1850. Belongs to the lard class. Orig- 
inally the breed was characterized by its size. Its color was spotted black and 
white. As developments proceeded the color was changed to solid black with 
six white points. It is fairly prolific. Is principally a fat-producing hog, snout 
medium in length, quite straight and tapering, ears two-thirds upright and one- 
third drooping, neck short, back broad, sides full and deep, body smooth through- 
out. Small, medium and large types have been developed in this breed. The 
large type will fatten well at 250 pounds or over, medium type aroimd 200 pounds, 
and the small type at any weight from 150 to 250 pounds. — Record Associations: 
American Poland China Record Association, W. M. McFadden, Secretary, Union 
Stock Yards, Chicago. 111.; National Poland China Record Association, A. M. 
Brown, Secretary, Winchester, Ind.; Standard Poland China Record Company, 
George F. Woodworth, Secretary, Maryville, Mo. 



THE TAMWORTH. 

Originated in Ireland. Bacon type. Sometimes reach an extreme weight. 
Have long legs, long pointed snout, deep sides, ears usually upright, color red. — 
Record Association: American Tamworth Swine Record Association, E. N. 
Ball, Secretary, East Lansing, Mich. 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 




Poland Chinas. 



THE YORKSHIRE. 



The Yorkshire is not a very popular hog in this part of the United States, but 
is quite popular in Canada as a bacon hog. This breed is white in color. They 
have thick bellies, well mixed meat and long sides, points that curers of bacon 
value highly. — Record Association: American Yorkshire Club, Harvey S. Crum, 
Secretary, White Bear Lake, Minn. 



OTHER BREEDS. 

There are other breeds of swine than those mentioned in this bulletin. They 
are, however, not nearly so popular, and in general it is thought best that growers 
confine their efforts to the more popular breeds. Some of these less knowTi breeds 
are the Victoria, Cheshire, Essex, Suffolk, Mule-foot, Large Black, etc. 




A Profitable Sow. 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 11 



Breeding and Management 

It is intelligence that counts in raising pigs for market. The successful farmer 
is the one who thinks. He must take into consideration all the little things that 
go to make up "his pigships." Naturally, if he does this there is little doubt of 
his success. The following from Henry is to the point: 

"Breed stock should live all summer in the open on imcontaminated soil,, 
grazing on succulent pastures in order to develop bone, muscle and constitution. 
The grasses do not provide a satisfactory pasture for swine. Far better are the 
rape and the legumes — clover, alfalfa, vetch, etc. While the pig can barely subsist 
on grass alone, the legumes and rape will somewhat more than sustain life and sc 
leave for producing increase all the extra good feed which may be supplied. In 
addition to good legume or rape pasture there should be fed a proper allowance 
of muscle and bone-building feeds such as wheat middlings, bran, soy beans, 
cow peas, linseed oil meal, tankage, dairy by-products, etc. These need not, 
however, constitute over one-third of the feed supplied; the remainder, carbo- 
hydrate in character and cheaper in price, should consist of corn, barley, kaffir, 
milo, etc. The daily concentrate allowance should be sufficient to keep the pigs 
thrifty and gaining, but in no case so abundant as to make them lazy and shiftless, 
for pigs, if heavily fed, do little foraging but lie idly in the shade. Observation 
will soon determine the quantity of feed which will keep pigs gaining normally 
while actively foraging to appease their hunger. 

"Boars and brood sows of the larger breeds should reach the weight of about 
250 pounds at one year of age if rightly fed and managed. The feed and care of 
the boar does not differ from that of the sow. Too often both are closely confined 
in filthy quarters away from the wholesome earth without opportunity for exer- 
cise or for gathering food on their own account. Such mismanagement weakens 
the constitution and is far more expensive than the simpler and more natural 
method of keeping all stock, from spring until fall, away from building and feed 
yards, out in the fields on fresh uncontaminated soil. Here a little extra feed with 
suitable forage and a natural life makes possible the most economical gains and 
the healthiest animals."— Henry; Bulletin No. 100, U. S. Department of Agricul- 
ture, Washington, D. C; Farmers' Bulletin No. 205. 



BEDDING. 

Many farmers who are careful to see that their cows and heifers have plenty 
of dry, clean bedding every night never stop to think that the hogs require good 
sleeping quarters as well. In many cases no attention is given the hog house for 
weeks, and the result is that it becomes muddy and filthy and absolutely unfit 
for even a hog to sleep in. 

While this is wrong from a humane standpoint, it is equally wrong from an 
economic point of view. Swine cannot be expected to do their best under such 
conditions; moreover, such places are breeding beds for disease germs. In the 
end the one who neglects his swine in this way pays dearly for it. Take a look at 
the hog house tomorrow. Clean it out thoroughly and see that it is perfectly dry. 
then put in a fresh supply of straw or shredded fodder. 



12 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 




The Yorkshire T>pe. 



THE BOAR. 



The most important factor in the herd is the boar. In all instances use a 
pure-bred boar. Too much emphasis cannot be laid on this. Choose him from 
among the best, for the best is none too good. Have him from a familj^ entirely 
foreign to your own. The inexperienced had better let inbreeding alone. See that 
he is well conformed, full of vitality and of good disposition. Avoid a long head, 
long neck and long legs. See that he stands well up on his toes. Don't buy a 
sway back, nor one too arched; his back should be nearly straight. A little arch 
won't hurt, but must not be too pronounced. Don't use a 2x4 on him, for a light 
whip can handle any boar that has been properly trained. Keep him away from 
the sows until they need him. Use a crate for breeding purposes — it will save 
your boar's vitality. Don't put him in service too yoimg; eight months of age is 
the earliest time he should be used and ten months is better. Have him get 
accustomed to his new home and surroundings before he is put to work. 

Fifteen to twenty sows are enough for the young boar to breed the first year. 
Use a good boar as long as possible to do so to an advantage. 

Do not keep the boar with the herd — keep him in a separate pen or pasture 
near the balance of the herd. 

If you wish good strong litters conserve his vitalitj'. 



BROOD SOWS. 

In selecting from your herds the gilts you expect to make brood sows, of remem- 
ber, as in the boar, the best is none too good. Select them from large litters, 
expecting them to have inherited prolificacy. Choose them for their conformation 
also. See that they are good feeders and they will more likely be good milkers. 
After the first farrowing watch them for their mothering qualities; a sow may 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 



18 




produce large litters but on account of 
the fact that she is a poor mother, will 
raise but few pigs. Such a sow should be 
immediately promoted to the feed lots. 
Generally speaking, a long, rangy sow is a 
better brood sow than the short, chunky 
one. In mating a sow, choose a boar of 
similar type; don't cross types or breeds 
if you expect uniformity in the offspring, 
although weak characteristics may be 
eradicated by using boars of opposite 
strong characteristics for several genera- 
tions. A gilt should not be bred until it 
is at least nine months old. At one year 
is better; that is, young enough, and by 
that time the gilt will have obtained 
growth and strength enough to carry 
her through the first litter. In western 
Oregon and Washington, two litters a year 
can be depended on. Keep good brood 
sows as long as they continue to give good 
results. Remember that a well proven, 
good brood sow of any age within rea- 
son is worth more than the unproved 
gilt. Linseed oil meal is a good laxative feed to give at farrowing time. 
After breeding let the sow continue with other animals on pasture for two 
months; then put her with the other pregnant sows and feed for bone and muscle. 
Keep her in good form, but not too fat. Bran, shorts, ground oats and peas and 
a little wheat or barley should be fed. Also see that she has good, green pasture 
to run on. Two weeks before farrowing time put her in farrowing pen so that she 
will get acquainted and become contented with her new quarters. Have liberal 
supply of salt and ashes handy for her, which will prevent her from acquiring 
desire for animal food and keep her from eating her pigs. See that she has plenty 
of fresh water. After farrowing she should have nothing but water and a little 
thin slop for the first day. After that feed lightly for several days. After a 
week begin to increase feed as fast as she will eat, with relish, milk-making foods. 
It takes plenty of sow's milk to make healthy, growthy pigs. During time the 
pigs are with sow give plenty of green feed. 



THE BEST WAY. 
After they are one year of age all boars should 
have their tusks removed at least twice a year. 
This may be done quickly and effectively with 
a pair of strong nippers or sharp pinchers sim- 
ilar to those used by a blacksmith. It is both 
cruel and unnecessary to knock out the tusks 
with a cold chisel. 



CASTRATING. 

Castrating should be done early. Do not wait until the risk is too great. 
The older the animal the more difficult to handle and the greater the loss of blood 
and vitality. The yovmg pig that is castrated when from four to six weeks old 
loses but little blood and continues to nurse, scarcely noticing the operation. 
After castration cleanse the woimd with a three per cent solution of some coal tar 
preparation. Keep the pigs away from manure piles or stagnant pools. 



14 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 



CROSS-BREEDING. 

Cross-breeding consists of mating pure-bred animals of different breeds. In 
some cases this has proved a success, the offspring being rapid and economic pork 
producers. There are several objections to this practice. Cross-breeding cannot 
be successfully carried on beyond the first generation and the breeder has no 
chance for selection to improve his herd. He cannot raise any of his own breeding 
animals and has to buy an entirely new herd every few years. Again, because of 
the prices demanded for first-class stock, such a breeder will not get as high-grade 
animals as he might have could he select the tops from his own breeding. As a 
rule, cross-breeding is not as successful nor as satisfactory as straight-breeding or 
grading.— Montana Agricultural College Experiment Station, Circular No. 13. 

GESTATION PERIOD. 

One of the important things for a farmer to know is when a sow is due to 
farrow. Young sows generally carry their pigs from 100 to 108 days. Old sows 
from 112 to 115 days. Age and condition being taken into consideration, the 
period averages 112 days. Periods of heat recur at intervals of twenty-one days 



The following table will be found convenient: 

To find the date when a sow is due to farrow it is necessary to count 16 weeks from the day when 
she was served. This calculation may be avoided by the use of this table. Find the date when the sow 
was served and the date immediately to the right is the date when she is due. For instance, if the sow 
was served February 1, she is due May 24; if served May 24 she is due September 13. 



Feb. 


May 


Sept. 


Jan. 


Apr. 


Aug. 


Dec. 


Mar. 


July 


Nov. 


Feb. 
26 


June 


Oct. 


Jan. 


1 


24 


13 


3 


25 


15 


5 


27 


17 


6 


18 


8 


28 


2 


25 


14 


4 


26 


16 


6 


28 


18 


7 


27 


19 


9 


29 


3 


26 


15 


5 


27 


17 


7 


29 


19 


8 


28 
Mar. 


20 


10 


30 


4 


27 


16 


6 


28 


18 


8 


30 


20 


9 


1 


21 


11 


31 

Feb. 


5 


28 


17 


7 


29 


19 


9 


31 
Apr. 


21 


10 


2 


22 


12 


1 


6 


29 


18 


8 


30 
May 


20 


10 


1 


22 


11 


3 


23 


13 


2 


7 


30 


19 


9 


1 


21 


11 


2 


23 


12 


4 


24 


14 


3 


8 


31 
June 


20 


10 


2 


22 


12 


3 


24 


13 


5 


25 


15 


4 


9 


1 


21 


11 


2 


23 


13 


4 


25 


14 


6 


26 


16 


5 


10 


2 


22 


12 


4 


24 


14 


5 


26 


15 


7 


27 


17 


6 


11 


3 


23 


13 


5 


25 


15 


6 


27 


16 


8 


28 


18 


7 


12 


4 


24 


14 


6 


26 


16 


7 


28 


17 


9 


29 


19 


8 


13 


5 


25 


15 


7 


27 


17 


8 


29 


18 


10 


30 
July 


20 


9 


14 


6 


26 


16 


8 


28 


18 


9 


30 


19 


11 


1 


21 


10 


15 


7 


27 


17 


9 


29 


19 


10 


31 
Aug. 


20 


12 


2 


22 


11 


16 


8 


28 


18 


10 


30 


20 


11 


1 


21 


13 


3 


23 


12 


17 


9 


29 


19 


11 


31 
Sept. 


21 


12 


2 


22 


14 


4 


24 


13 


18 


10 


30 
Opt. 


20 


12 


1 


22 


13 


3 


23 


15 


5 


25 


14 


19 


11 


1 


21 


13 


2 


23 


14 


4 


24 


16 


6 


26 


15 


20 


12 


2 


22 


14 


3 


24 


15 


5 


25 


17 


7 


27 


16 


21 


13 


3 


23 


15 


4 


25 


16 


6 


26 


18 


8 


28 


17 


22 


14 


4 


24 


16 


5 


26 


17 


7 


27 


19 


9 


29 


18 


23 


15 


5 


25 


17 


6 


27 


18 


8 


28 


20 


10 


30 


19 


24 


16 


6 


26 


18 


7 


28 


19 


9 


29 


21 


11 


31 

Nov. 


20 


25 


17 


7 


27 


19 


8 


29 


20 


10 


30 
Dec, 


22 


12 


1 


21 


26 


18 


8 


28 


20 


9 


30 


21 


11 


1 


23 


13 


2 


22 


27 


19 


9 


29 


21 


10 


31 
Jan. 


22 


12 


2 


24 


14 


3 


23 


28 


20 


10 


30 


22 


11 




23 


3 


3 


25 


15 


4 


24 




21 


11 


31 


23 


12 




24 


4 


4 


26 


16 


5 


25 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 15 




Duroc Jerseys on Pasture. 

and last from one to two days. Breed sows in March or April for fall litters, 
November and December for spring litters. Breed as many sows as possible at 
the same time so that the pigs will be of uniform age. It is uniformity of size, 
color and age that counts on the market. 



GRADING UP A HERD OF PIGS. 

The disappearance of unimproved blood by the continuous use of pure bred 

sires is shown in the customary way in the following table: 

Sires Pet. Dams Pet. Offspring Pet. 

Generations. of Pure Breed of Pure Breed of Pure Breed 

1 .100 00 50 

2 100 50 75 

3. 100 75 87.5 

4., 100 87.5 93.75 

5 100 93. 75 96. 87 

6 100 96.87 98.44 

Hypothetically the offspring from the sixth generation will have retained on 
the average 1.55 per cent of unimproved blood from the original dam or the dam 
of no breeding. (This applies only to the average of large numbers and does not 
apply to individuals. Occasionally individuals may still be like the scrub dam 
in the original foundation stock.) 

The breeder must be reminded that to produce the high-grade no other sire 
than a pure-bred one of the breed selected can be used. No progress will be accom- 
plished by using a grade scrub or cross-bred sire. Nor can progress toward eventual 
purity of blood be made by using pure-bred sires of different breeds for each cross 
or occasional cross. Grading up means using a pure-bred sire for the first cross 



16 PACIFIC-XORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 

and continuously crossing the female offspring \vitli pure-bred sires of the breed 
first selected, until all impure blood has been practically bred out. 

It is not necessary for the farmer who is producing pork for the market to 
keep a breeding herd of registered sows. A herd of high grades will answer the 
purpose nearly as well and they can be purchased at a much cheaper rate. The 
one important thing is that the breeder use a pure-bred sire. If he must start 
with a herd of inferior sows, by using a pure-bred sire it will only be a question of 
two or three years until he will have a herd of good grades. 

MATURITY. 

In general, hogs do not come to their maturitj" imtil they are about two years 
old. It follows, then, that a hog that cannot be put in good marketable condition 
during its early life is not a profitable hog for one to raise. Almost any good breed 
can be brought to this condition by intelligent feeding. Two hundred poimd hogs 
on the market at six months of age is good business management. 

PIGS— FARROWING TIME. 

Attention given the sow at farrowing time is money saved. If the pigs come 
in cold weather, put them in a warm box imtil she is through farrowing and then 
put them with the sow immediately. If the pigs begin to scour, feed the sow less 
and give her plenty of strong lime water. If the pigs are old enough to drink 
when they scour, scalded milk with a little wheat flour and half an egg for each 
pig, stirred together, is good. If too young to drink, give them four or five drops 
of paregoric. Give them a run-way adjoining the pen with an opening about a 
foot square through which the pigs can get, but which will not permit the sow 
to get through. At three weeks of age feed them a few grains of soaked wheat on 
a board floor in their rim-way (not in the pen for the sow to steal it from them). 
After they get used to eating, gradually lead up with shorts, peas or ground oats. 
Give them all the skim milk you can. At this age feed for bone and muscle, not 
fat. Bj- giving them plenty of pasture with the above feed, at about 8 weeks the 
pigs will practically have weaned themselves. After weaning, the pigs must 
never be permitted to stop growing. Never forget that the most and cheapest 
pork is made in the early months of the pig's existence. Castrate young boars 
at about 5 weeks old. — Bulletin Xo. 18, Oregon Agricultural College. Corvallis. 
Oregon. 

SHADE. 

Pick your locations for hog pastures where the shade is good and there will be 
no necessity for the foul and unhealthy hog wallow. Hogs, contrary to an erroneous 
prevailing opinion, are cleanly animals, and never seek the filthj' stagnant pools to 
wallow in, if there is plenty of fresh water, and seldom seek the water at any time 
if there is abundant shade, and thej^ are kept free from lice and other imhealthy 
conditions. It is onh- when thej' cannot get comfort from the heat any other way 
that they seek the wallow, and the wallow does not begin to offer the comfort that 
a shady tree with the breeze playing under it does. 

SIZE AND AGE OF BREEDING ANIMALS. 

The best weight for market hogs is around 200 pounds. Having this weight 
in mind it is advantageous to use heavy animals in the breeding herd. One must 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 17 

remember, however, that the nearer approach to maturit}' the hog gains at a 
less rate per pound of feed. It is also true that the most rapid gains are made 
under 200 pounds; therefore pigs from a 600 pound sow which can be brought to 
market condition and weight at an earlj' age are profitable. This, then is the 
significance of large breeding stock. 

SIZE OF SOWS AS RELATED TO LITTERS PRODrCED. 

Ave. Wt. No. of pigs Ave. wt. 
per sow x>er litter per litter 

Large sows 482 9.2 27 

Medium sows 307 6. 7 16 

Small sows 238 5.5 U 

AGE OF SOWS AS RELATED TO LITTERS PRODUCED. 

No. of pigs Ave. wt • 
per litter per litter 

Sows 4 and 5 years old 9.0 26. 

Sows 2 and 3 years old ." 7.5 19. 7 

Sows 1 year old "^.8 14. 2 

From the above tables one is led to infer that the old heavy sow is a good, 
profitable animal to keep in the breeding herd. 



SOILS. 

Almost any kind of soil, whether it be black, chocolate, gray or red, whether 
it be waxy or sandy, can be made productive of pork-making crops provided one 
will study the manj- bulletins published b}' the United States Department of 
Agriculture and furnished free by the department to those applying for same. 
One should also read bulletins and consult with the various State agricultural 
experiment stations that the State provides and you pay for. The}' are provided 
for just this help. Ask them. 

SPAYED AND UNSPAYED SOWS. 

"At the Utah Station, Foster and ^lerrill secured a daily gain of 0.82 pounds 
with spayed sows and 0.86 pounds with unspayed sows. Xo difference in their 
appetites was noticed." — Henry. 

From this experiment it would appear that scarcely any advantage is secured 
by spaying sows intended for fattening. 

TIME OF BREEDING. 

Unquestionably the best time to raise farm animals is in the spring. The 
earl}' pigs are always stronger, grow faster, and are more healthy than the later 
arrivals. The proper time to have the litters come varies in different localities, 
but it should be some time in March or April, so that by the time the pastures are 
good the pigs are ready to wean. Pigs kept on good pasture all su mm er with a 
small grain ration need little finishing in the fall to attain the popular market 
weight. Fall litters in ^lontana, especially in the higher valleys, are not always 
satisfactory. The sows have to be crowded and probably injm-ed, to get them to 
farrow as soon as possible after the spring litter, or if the breeding is delayed the 
pigs come too late in the season. Fall pigs have to be carried over the winter at 
a considerable expense, are often stunted, add seldom jdeld the satisfactory 
returns that come from the spring litters. Unless a person is very well equipped 



18 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 



with buildings and proper feed, fall litters should be avoided. Winter litters, 
especially when dropped in December, January, and February, the coldest months, 
may be lost for want of exercise. Yoimg pigs stay in their nests most of the time 
when the weather is cold, become fat and die of what is known as "thumps." 
Whole litters are sometimes lost from this trouble. While some breeders in this 
section make a success with fall litters, our experience indicates that the beginnei 
at least should give his attention to producing early spring litters. These entail 
much less expenditure for houses, sheds and pens, as the pigs are in the pastures 
most of the time. Generally, however, the better equipment of pens and houses 
a breeder has, the earlier in the spring he can have the litters come. 

WEANING THE PIGS. 

After the pig is able to eat well — which is usually' from 6 to 12 weeks of age — it 
can be weaned successfully. The age of eight weeks is early enough, especially if 
the sow is expected to raise two litters of pigs per year. The sow should be sep- 
arated from the pigs, returning them two or three times long enough to empty the 
sows' u(|diers. After weaning put the sows on a good pasture with plenty of fresh 
water. Watch the sows closely, as they usually come in season from three to 
seven daj^s after weaning, if thej^ are to be re-bred. 

YIELD AT FARROWING. 

The yield per sow varies greatly, of course. From the number of records of a 
great number of pure-bred sows of eight breeds it has been found that the average 
yield was nine pigs to the litter. From the records kept 51 per cent of them were 
males and 49 per cent females. 




Duroc Jersey. 



20 PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 



Feeds and Feeding 



"The hog is at home with poor and rich; he works energetically for both. 
Whether inclosed in muddy pens or given the range of wide acres, he neither frets 
nor pines. He grows the best he can, increases his size as rapidly as his food supply 
admits, and invariably pays his way. As a consumer of food he eats greedily and 
heartily, but the account he furnishes is honest. He is wasteful of what he eats 
only when he is denied what he wants and in generous quantities; but, fed abun- 
dantly, he grows fat, matures rapidly, and manufactures meat and lard econom- 
ically."— Bur kett. 

In a large measure the profits from hogs depend upon the skill of the feeder. 

Bear in mind that the hog appreciates a variety of foods just as much as the 
human does. No one food will produce as much pork as a variety of equally good 
foods. The question of palatability enters into the success of the food of animals 
in a greater degree than is usually considered. Pasturage is the foundation of 
pork and is the most important factor in pork making. Without good pasturage 
you have no means of forcing the hogs to exercise, which is necessary for their 
health. In the Pacific Northwest, alfalfa, which is the best forage in the country, 
grows in most places, but clover, vetch, kale, barley, wheat and oats provide an 
opportunity for pork making that gives the country special advantages. Other 
pasture crops, such as kaffir corn, milo maize, sorghum, field peas and artichokes, 
furnish not only pasturage but a large percentage of grain food. — ^Bulletin No. 113, 
Pig Feeding, University of Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, Gainesville, 
Fla. ; Farmers Bulletin No. 22; Bulletin No. 165, Experiment Station, Fort Collins, 
Colorado. 



CALCULATING RATIONS. 

Feed your pigs definite quantities of digestible nutriments daily per hundred 
pounds of live weight, bearing in mind it is necessary to maintain a certain relation 
between the concentrates and roughages of the ration. 

To balance a ration one must spend enough time to properly study the require- 
ments of the animals to be fed and the composition of the various kinds of feed 
stuff that are available. In the case of brood sows provision must be made not 
only for the maintenance of her body, but provision must be made also for the pigs 
that she is carrying. A properly balanced ration for young growing pigs is very 
important. Such foods as alfalfa, skim-milk, mineral matter, etc., must be wisely 
taken into consideration so as to insure the proper framework to build the fat for 
the market hog later on. In the case of market hogs a ration must be figured that 
not alone maintains the animals but one that will make a consistent daily gain. 

Nutriments contained in the various feeds and their use are as follows: The 
proteids provide material for the upkeep of the body, while the carbohydrates 
supply the body with heat and energy. The fats in the food accomplish the same 
work as do the carbohydrates. One poimd of fat being equal in value to about 
two and one-fourth pounds of carbohydrates. When these nutriments are in such 
proportion as to best meet the needs of the animal the ration is known as a "bal- 
anced" ration. 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 



21 




A Pacific Northwest Cornfield. 



For complete methods for calculating rations see Dietrich's "Swine" and 
Henry's "Feed and Feedings." A table of nutriments may also be found in 
Farmers Bulletin No. 22. 



CHANGES IN RATIONS. 

Recent e.xperiment has shown that when a pig is fed a certain ration for a con- 
siderable time it will digest the ration more thoroughly after a few weeks than at 
first and that consequently a ration to produce the best results should be fed for 
a long time for the pig to become used to it. 

Do not change from a ration that is high in protein to one that is low in protein 
in less than four weeks' time, unless you want to bring on a loss of vitality. Change 
rations gradually, the more gradually the better, and in such manner that the pig 
will at all times eat the required amount with a decided relish. 



COMPOUNDING RATIONS. 

The compounding of rations is of very great importance. Not only does the 
general health of your herd depend upon it but the success of the farmer in a finan- 
cial way depends upon it. It is simply the question of keeping the pigs or letting 
the pigs keep you. 

If an excess of protein is fed, then a factor of waste is established. It follows, 
then, that to get the maximum gain from a herd of pigs careful attention must be 
given both the actual compounding of the ration and the way the food is fed. There 
are many ways of feeding, but only the intelligent methods bring success. 



22 PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 

COOKING FEED. 

The old theory held by almost everyone for many years was that all feed 
must be cooked to produce the most gain when fed. This has been shown to be 
wrong and in most cases it has been proved that there is an actual loss of food 
value in cooking for fattening purposes. An exception to the above should, how- 
ever, be noted in the case of potatoes. The Oregon Agricultural College has 
shown that when three times the weight of cooked potatoes is fed with rolled 
barley, a very economical gain can be had. 



FEEDING FLOORS. 

The feeding of corn or wheat on concrete or brick or wooden floors is good 
economy, especially here in the West, where much of the feeding is done during 
the rainy season. A good plan is to build a concrete watering trough along one 
side with the pig house on the opposite side. 



GRINDING GRAIN. 

Where the farmer raises corn, as many of them are now doing in the North- 
west, it is not considered an advantage 
to them to have their feed ground, when 
the extra cost of grinding is taken in- 
to consideration. Experimentation has 
shown that a gain of almost 6 per cent is 
CREEP FOR FEEDING SMALL PIGS. !^ f ^^°' f grindmg. The gain, however, 

Little pigs begin to eat grain at from three to IS lost when the COst of grindmg IS taken 
four weeks of age and should be piovided with into account. Experiments at the Iowa 
a small pen or enclosure where they can feed n • i ^ i • 

separately from the sows.— Wisconsin bulletin btation have shown that m nO case Was 

there anything to be gained by grinding 
corn. In general, it was shown that corn needed no preparation, except possibly- 
soaking shelled corn. 

A saving of about 12 per cent can be made by grinding peas, wheat, rye, oats 
or barley. The general conclusion, then, is that it pays to grind small grain 
always, but not corn, except where it is desired to fatten pigs quickly on ground 
corn without regard to the expense of fattening. A hog grinder — ^that is, a machine 
for grinding grain or corn where the motive power is supplied by the hog himself— 
is often recommended. One advantage it has is that of giving the hog excellent 
exercise —Henry's Feeds and Feeding; Bulletin No. 136, South Dakota State 
College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, Brookings, South Dakota; Bulletin 
No. 150, Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station, College Park, Maryland.- 



HOGGING DOWN. 

Of late years no little attention has been given to the practice of "hogging 
down" corn and other crops in the field instead of first harvesting the crop and 
then feeding. 

Some farmers have a plan of "hogging down" corn which has been planted 
with rape after the last cultivation of the corn. 

Farmer Smith claims that the grain farmer can unquestionably get more 




PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 23 

returns for his crop by this method of harvesting than by harvesting in any other 
manner. 

Those who have a variety of grain crops together with good pasturage should 
give the question good thought when preparing his hogs for market. 

Write to Farmer Smith, care of the O.-W. R. & N. Co., Portland, Oregon, for 
further particulars of this system. The information is free. 

MAKING A SLOP. 

Slop fed to young pigs should be thin; the nearer it approaches the consistency 
of buttermilk the better for the pigs. As the pigs grow older decrease the amount 
of water used. When the pigs are at a weight of about 100 pounds the slop should 
have the consistency of mush. 

MINERAL MATTER IN FEED. 

One of the most necessary points in hog feeding, almost as necessary to their 
welfare as the food they eat, is the supplying them at all times with mineral 
matter in some shape or form. 

In the blood of the hog will be found chlorides of sod'um and potassium, 
phosphates of soda, lime, magnesia and phosphorus. To supply these ingredients 
and to keep the hogs in perfectly healthy condition, free from rickets and other 
like diseases, a supply of mineral matter is absolutely essential, and wood ashes 
in a very large degree contain these requisite ingredients. Ashes contain lime, 
carbon, potassium, phosphorus, etc., and in every hoghouse there should be a 
box always kept well supplied with this staple form of food. It is not quite enough 
to throw the ashes inside the pen or in the run, as in winter snow covers them 
and they freeze solid, or they are trampled into the bedding of the hogs and ren- 
dered useless. A box to hold the ashes is the best method and they should be 
mixed with salt. It renders them more palatable and hogs fed in this manner 
are certain to put on flesh a great deal faster. Lime should also be fed to hogs, 
about a handful twice a week. It adds greatly to the growth and strengthens 
their bones. It is in the winter months that the hogs need most mineral matter, 
as during the summer when they are on pasture or foraging about for themselves 
they pick up enough mineral foods from vegetation or around the yard to keep 
them in good condition. 

NUMBER OF FEEDS PER DAY. 

Pigs are generally fed but twice per day, morning and evening, although some 
feeders give them a noon feed. This seems to be an extensive practice where pigs 
do not have pasture. Ex-perimentation shows that pasture, with two feeds per 
day to make up the supplemental part of the ration, produces the best results, 
with the factor of waste at a minimum. Of course, the kind of ration will deter- 
mine the number of feeds. 

SOAKING FEED. 

As a general rule it is said that it is best to soak unusually dry and hard grain 
that is apt to mjure the mouth and teeth of animals during feeding. In other 
instances there is no economical gain by soaking. 



24 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 



QUART WEIGHTS OF FEEDS. 

In calculating i^ations where it is unhandy to weigh the feeds, the following 
table of quart weights is of value: 

Corn, whole grain 1 pound 14 ounces 

Cracked corn 1 pound 12 ounces 

Cornmeal 1 pound 8 ounces 

Corncob-meal. 1 pound 6 ounces 

Oats, whole 1 pound ounces 

Oats, ground pound 12 ounces 

Wheat, whole 1 pound 14 ounces 

Wheat, ground 1 pound 13 ounces 

Wheat, middlings 1 pound 12 ounces 

Wheat, bran pound 10 ources 

Rye, bran pound 10 ounces 

Gluten, meal 1 pound 11 ounces 

Gluten, feed 1 pound 3 ounces 

Linseed meal 1 pound 2 ounces 

Cottonseed meal 1 pound 8 ounces 

Separator milk 2 pounds ounces 

Water 1 pound 12 ounces 

—Farmers Bulletin No. 22. 



SOWING AND GRAZING SCHEME. 

The following table gives in convenient form the time of planting, rate of 
seeding, and length of time required to produce grazing from the crops recom- 
mended: 



Fall Planting- 
Crop — 
Alfalfa... 



Green Crops for Hog Raising. 



. Sept. 



Burr clover Sept. 

White clover Sept. 

Wheat Sept. 

Rape Sept. 

Red clover Sept.' 

Oats Sept. 

Vetch. ._. Sept. 

Rye Sept. 

Spring and Summer Planting- 
Red clover Feb. 

Japan clover Mar. 

^^^^^P'^^^ iMar: 

Rape (Early Essex) . Apr. 

Oats, rustproof Slips 



Time to plant 


No. of days 
after planting 
when ready 
Seed per acre. to graze. 


1 to Oct. 


15... 
1... 


25 lbs 90 to 120 


1 to Oct. 


/201bs clean. ... 1 
■136 lbs. in burr.. J90tol20 


1 to Oct. 


1... 


. M bushel 90 to 120 


1 to Nov. 


1... 
20... 


3 lbs 90 to 120 


15 to Oct. 


. 4 lbs 75 


15 to Oct. 


20... 


. 10 lbs. with rape 120 


1 to Nov. 


1. .. 


. 2 to 3 bushels. 75 to 90 


1 to Nov. 


1.. 


. }4 bu.with wheat 90 to 120 


1 to Nov. 


1... 


. % bu.with vetch 90 to 120 


1 to Mar. 


1... 


. 20 lbs 120 


1 to Mar. 


15... 


. 24 lbs 75 


1 to May 


30... 


. K bu. in drill . . 75 to 90 


1 to June 


30... 


. VA bu. broadcast 100 to 120 


1 to June 


30... 
J^bu. 
^ bu 


. 6 lbs 60 to 90 


n June • ■• ^ i 


in drill. . . .\^ 
broadcast/0^*- 20 to Nov. 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 



25 



STANDARDS FOR FEEDING SWINE. 

(Wolff-Lehmann. ) 

The following table indicates the amount of food required per 1,000 pounds 
live weight for growing pigs, brood sows and fattening hogs. 



Growing swine breeding. 


Dry 
matter. 


Digesti 
Protein. 


ble nutrients. 


Nutritive 
ratio. 


Age in months. 


Weight. 


Cai bo- 
hydrates. 


Fat. 


2 to 3 


50 
100 
120 
200 
250 


40 
35 
32 
28 
25 

44 
35 
33 
30 
26 
22 

36 
32 
25 


7.6 
5.0 
3.7 

2.8 
2.1 

7.6 
5.0 
4.3 
3.6 
3.0 
2.5 

4.5 
4.0 
2.7 


28.0 
23.1 
21.3 
18.7 
15.3 

28.0 
23.1 
22.3 
20.5 
18.3 
15.5 

25.0 
24.0 
18.0 


1.0 
0.8 
0.4 
0.3 
0.2 

1.0 
0.8 
0.6 
0.4 
0.3 
0.4 

0.7 
0.5 
0,4 


1;4.0 
1;5.0 
1;5.0 

1;7,0 
1;7.5 


3 to 5 


5 to 6 


6 to 8 

8 to 12 




Glowing swine fattening. 




2 to 3 


50 
100 
150 
200 
300 


1;4.0 
1;5.0 
1;5.5 
1;6.0 
1;6.4 
];6.6 

1;5.9 
1;6.3 
1;7.0 


3 to 5 


5 to 6 


6 to 8 


8 to 12 


Brood sows 

Fattening swine: 

First period 

Second period 


Third period 





GRAIN AND OTHER FEEDS. 

A certain amount of grain feed is needed to grow hogs with the greatest 
profit, and still more is needed to fatten and fit them for market, but it should be 

used only to supplement the feeds which 
the hogs harvest for themselves in the 
field. Pork cannot be made economi- 
cally when all, or even a large portion of 
the feed comes from the crib or the mill. 
The hog is an omnivorous animal and 
needs "roughage" and fresh green feed 
for his best health and growth and to 
produce meat of the best quality. When 
young his grain feed should be such as 
will furnish material for bone and muscle 
and not such as will produce an excess 
of fat, while, as the animal approaches 
maturity, fat-producing foods should be 
given more liberally. No one kind of 
grain feed can be used economically from 
weaning until the full-grown animal is 
slaughtered, and there should be a gradual change from the nitrogenous, muscle- 
making food given to the pig to the carbonaceous, fat-making food, which is the 
more profitable for the last few weeks before killing. The young animal must 
have good bone and muscle before it can carry the heavy load of fat desirable 
for the market or develop the strength, vigor and health necessary in a good 
breeding animal. 




A ROUGHAGE FEED RACK FOR SWINE. 
Foi feeding alfslfa, clover, soy bean hay or 
other coarse feed, a rack of this kind is handy and 
prevents waste. More simple racks are often 
const! ucted on the inside of a hog house by 
placing them against one of the sides of the 
building or adjoined to the pen partition. — Wis- 
consin bulletin 242. 



26 PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 

WATER. 

Either artesian, shallow well or running stream, preferably the latter, is good 
for hogs. If the water must be hauled, or is scarce, an automatic watering device 
should be used. It will pay for itself quickly. The small running streams origi- 
nating from springs on the individual farms are the best and safest. Best for the 
reason the water is fresh and sweet, and safest for the reason that the water cannot 
have been contaminated by disease from other herds up the stream. Where larger 
streams run through the place, great care should be exercised to know what herds 
water above you and the condition in which they are kept, for the reason that one 
herd at the head of a stream becoming diseased will be the source of danger that 
will be conveyed by the stream to all other herds watering below it. It should be 
considered by every farmer in case of disease where conditions make it impossible 
to keep his herd from the stream that it is his moral duty to notify all farmers 
below him of the outbreak, in order that they may protect themselves. Indeed, 
it should be a moral obligation among farmers to notify each other promptly of 
the outbreak of disease, whether on streams or not, so that preventive measures 
may be adopted to forestall the spreading of same. 



DRY MATTER AND DIGESTIBLE FOOD INGREDIENTS IN 100 POUNDS 

OF FEEDING STUFF. 

Green fodder — 

Total dry 

Feeding stuff. matter, Protein, 

pounds. pounds. 

*Corn fodder (average of all varieties) 20.7 1. 10 

Rye fodder 23.4 2.05 

Oat fodder 37.8 2.44 

Redtop, in bloom 34. 7 2. 06 

Red clover, at different stages 29. 2 3. 07 

Crimson clover 19.3 2. 16 

tAlfalfa, at different stages 28. 2 3. 89 

Cowpea 16.4 1.68 

Rape 14.3 2.16 

Corn silage (recent analyses) 25. 6 1 . 21 

*Corn fodder, field cured 57.8 2.34 

Corn stover, field cured 59. 5 1. 98 

Hay from — 

Barley 89.4 5.11 

Oats 84.0 4.07 

Redtop 91.1 4.82 

JTimothy (all analyses) 86. 8 2. 89 

Mixed grasses 87. 1 4. 22 

Red clover 84.7 7.38 

Crimson clover 91.4 10.49 

tAlfalfa 91.6 10.58 

Cowpea 89.3 10.79 

Wheatstraw 90. 4 0. 37 

*Corn fodder is entire plant, usually sown thick. 

tLucern. 

tHerd's grass of New England and New York. 



Carbo- 
hydrates, 
pounds. 


Fat, 
pounds. 


12.08 


0.37 


14.11 


0.44 


17.09 


0.97 


21.24 


0.58 


14.82 


0.69 


9.31 


0.44 


11.20 


0.41 


8.08 


0.25 


8.65 


0.32 


14.56 


0.88 


32.34 


1.15 


33.16 


0.57 


35.94 


1.55 


33.35 


1.67 


46.83 


0.95 


43.72 


1.43 


43.26 


1.33 


38.15 


1.81 


38.13 


1.29 


37.33 


1.38 


38.40 


1.51 


36.30 


0.40 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 27 

DRY MATTER AND DIGESTIBLE FOOD INGREDIENTS IN 100 POUNDS 
OF FEEDING STUFF— Continued. 

Total dry Carbo- 

matter, Proteiu, hydrates, Fat, 

pounds. pounds pounds, pounds. 

Ryestraw 92.9 0.63 40.58 0.38 

Oat straw 90.8 1. 20 38. 64 0. 76 

Roots and tubers — 

Potatoes 21.1 1.36 16.43 

Beets 13.0 1.21 8.84 0.05 

Man gel-wur Zeis 9.1 1.03 5.65 0.11 

Turnips 9.5 0.81 6.46 0.11 

Rutabagas 11.4 0.88 7.74 0.11 

Carrots 11.4 0.81 7.83 0.22 

Grain and other seeds — 

Corn (average of dent and flint) 81. 1 7. 14 66. 12 4. 97 

Barley 89.1 8.69 64.83 1.60 

Oats 89.0 9.25 48.34 4.18 

Rye 88.4 9.12 69.73 1.36 

Wheat (all varieties) 89. 5 10. 23 69. 21 1. 68 

Mill products — 

Cornmeal 85.0 6.26 65.26 3.50 

Oatmeal 92.1 11.53 52.06 5.93 

Barleymeal 88.1 7.36 62.88 1.96 

Ground corn and oats, equal parts 88. 1 7. 01 61. 20 3. 87 

Peameal 89.5 16.77 51.78 0.65 

Waste products— 

Ryebran 88.2 11.47 52.40 1.79 

Wheat bran, all analyses 88. 5 12. 01 41. 23 2. 87 

Wheat middlings 84.0 12.79 53.15 3.40 

Wheat shorts 88. 2 12. 22 49. 98 3. 83 

Cotton-seed meal ...91.8 37.01 16.52 12.58 

Linseed meal (new process) 90. 1 30. 59 38. 72 2. 90 

Sugar beet pulp (fresh) 10. 1 0. 63 7. 12 

Sugar beet pulp (dry) 93. 6 6. 80 65. 49 

Milk and its by-products — 

Whole milk 12.8 3.38 4.80 3.70 

Skim milk, cream raised by setting 9.6 3.10 4.61 0. 90 

Skim milk, cream raised by separator 9. 4 3. 01 5. 10 0. 30 

Buttermilk 9.0 2.82 4.70 0.50 

Whey 6.2 0.56 5.00 0.10 



FEEDING THE BOAR. 

In the summer turn him into a good pasture, give him only enough grain to 
maintain him in good flesh, about a pound daily to each 100 pounds of live weight 
In the winter a good daily ration is 1 to 3 lbs. grain, 4 to 6 lbs. roots, together 
with alfalfa hay. Pumpkins, kale or cull fruit answer the same purpose as roots. 
In the breeding season equal parts of corn, ground oats and middlings is an excel- 
lent ration. — Popular Bulletin No. 63, State Agricultural Experiment Station, 
Pullman, Wash. 



28 PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 

FEEDING THE BROOD SOW. 

The following feed combinations have proved satisfactory. They should be 
modified as cost or conditions indicate; 

No. 1— 

Rolled or ground wheat 1 part 

Shorts or middlings .' . 2 parts 

Bran 1 part 

No. 2— 

Ground or rolled oats 1 part 

Shorts or middlings 1 part 

No. 3— 

Rolled oats 1 part 

Rolled wheat 1 part 

Shorts 1 part 

No. 4^ 

(a) Shorts 1 part 

Bran 1 part 

(b) Rolled oats 2 parts 

Alfalfa meal 1 part 

No. 5— 

Rolled oats 2 parts 

Rolled wheat 1 part 

Alfalfa meal 1 part 

Barley, rolled or ground, may be substituted for or mixed with the wheat. 
Tankage may be safely used if the sow has been accustomed to it before farrowing. 
It has been lately shown at the Iowa Station that tankage or meat meal when used 
as a protein component not only lessens the cost of feeding before farrowing but 
increases the vigor of the new-born pigs. "• 

AFTER FARROWING. 

It is better to keep the sow hungry than to overfeed her. She should be fed 
very little the first 24 hours after farrowing. Allow her drinking water, and when 
she shows signs of hunger a limited amount of a thick slop ration may be given her. 

The feeding of the sow may also be divided into three periods: The farrow 
period, the pregnant period, and the nursing period. 

The farrow period embraces the period before the sow is bred for the first 
time. Pasture supplemented with bone and muscle producing feeds for the young 
sow, together with freedom are of importance. In the winter add some succulent 
food to take the place of the pasture. For mature sows that are farrow a good 
clover or alfalfa pasture is sufficient to keep them in order. 

During the pregnant period after the spring litter is weaned a good pasture 
supplemented by a little grain for a short time if in very thin flesh is sufficient. 
If the sow is bred for a full litter more grain may be added with a little tankage 
where the pasture is not available. 

Near the farrowing time the grain component of the ration should be in- 
creased during the several weeks before farrowing. A good grain mixture is 
equal parts of rolled wheat, barley and oats, with 34 lb. tankage daily. 

During the first part of the nursing period do not give any feed for 24 hours 
after farrowing. Give plenty of water. — Popular Bulletin No. 63, State Agri- 
cultural Experiment Station, Pullman, Wash. 




PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 29 

FEEDING THE PIGS. 

After weaning, the young pig may be fed on the ration suggested for nursing 
sows. So as to accustom them to eating, they may be fed with the sow for a while — 
feed in the form of a thick slop in a trough. 
A little shelled corn or grain may also 
be fed on a clean floor. Give them a 
little charcoal broken into small pieces, 
before turning them into pasture. 

To insure rapid development, feed the cement FEEDING FLOOR SAVES feed. 

pigs three times daily and give them Cement feeding floors and V-shaped troughs 

iU„ „,,„ ^e „ „,^„ll ^„„4-,,„„ A l„„^^ „„«« can be used to good advantage on any hog farm, 

the run of a small pasture. A large econ- „ ^^e feeding spot is locatedin a protected place 

Omy of grain may be had by using a good i^iside feeding will be unnecessary except at far- 

. , rowing time.— Wisconsin bulletin 242. 

pasture freely. 

The following rations have been found satisfactory for developing young pigs, 
whether confined to a dry lot or given the run of a pasture, or when provided with 
forage crops and fed ear corn or other fattening feeds to finish them for market: 
Ration 1 — 

32 pounds corn meal. 
32 poimds wheat middlings. 
32 pounds ground oats. 
4 pounds oil meal. 
Ration 2 — 

32 pounds ground barley. 
32 poimds wheat middlings. 
32 pounds ground oats. 
4 pomids oil meal. 
Ration 3 — 

47 pounds corn meal . 
47 pounds wheat middlings. 
6 pounds oil meal. 
Ration 4 — 

47 pounds wheat middlings. 
47 poimds ground barley. 
6 pounds oil meal. 
The oil meal has the advantage of forming a uniform mixture of the ration. 
Feed the grain or corn in increasing amoimts during the fattening period. 

A small amount of tankage may be fed with these rations on the basis of 
3^ lb. per day per 100 pounds of pig. — Bulletin No. 242, Agricultural Experiment 
Station of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis. 

COMMON FEEDS. 

Alfalfa. Unquestionably, alfalfa is the leading hog forage in this section 
of the country. In normal seasons it affords a constant supply of palatable forage 
throughout the season. 

The feeding value of alfalfa is largely in its chemical compound known as 
protein; its extreme digestibility is another desirable quality to be considered, 
and not least is its appetizing character. Not only do all animals like it, but when 
given in moderate quantities it seems to increase the general appetite for more 
fat-making feeds. Alfalfa alone is not a fat-making food. Animals fed upon it 
grow in weight, but the weight is principally of bone, blood and muscle. It is 



30 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 




^TV -.^7^' 



AN ADJUSTABLE ROUGHAGE 
COVER. 



STACK 



without a sufficiency of fat and carbohydrates, and these should be added in such 
feeds as corn, corn meal, field peas, feterita, etc; or to a limiteed degree even in 

corn stover, sorghum or millet. When 
alfalfa is fed alone all the protein cannot 
be digested, and therefore it is always 
economical to add some carbonaceous 
foods, if animals are to be fattened.— 
From Coburn's "The Book of Alfalfa." 
Alfalfa hay is a splendid supplemental 
feed for bro.od sows, though it is some- 
times difficult to get them to eat enough 
unless ground and mixed with corn or 
grain ration. 

Alfalfa pasture alone furnishes but 
little more than a maintenance ration for 
pigs. By having several small pastures 
so that the pigs may be changed from 
one to the other, and the alfalfa cut there 
Roughage stacked in the hog lot where it can is no serious injury to the alfalfa. The 
s\rfd lb:^°oTecte7by°a I'vlr.^ Adipfe^^o? ^^^ber of pigs turned into pasture should 
adjustable on four corner posts is satisfactory.— never be large enough to keep down the 

Wisconsin bulletin 242. ,, , ,, , . /- i i -u 

growth. A well set vigorous field will 
carry from 15 to 25 pigs per acre.— Bulletin No. 31, United States Department 
of Agriculture, Washington, D. C; "The Book of Alfalfa," Coburn; Farmers 
Bulletins No. 339, 373 and 495; Bulletin No. 152, Rhode Island Experiment 
Station; Alfalfa, Jos. Wing. 

Apples. Apple growers can use culls and windfalls to good advantage. If 
hogs are let run among the trees, both the hogs and orchard are benefited. The 
trees should be protected from rooting, Orchardists should bear in mind that 
hogs eat the wormy, decaying apples, preventing many tree and leaf diseases. 

The value of apples for pigs is equal to a good grass pasture. Orchardists 
in the Hood River Valley have lately gone into swine raising with very good 
results. In some cases feeding crops are raised between the rows of trees. 

Artichokes. For winter and early spring there is no better crop than arti- 
chokes, which give a rich, fresh feed just at the time when grasses and clover are 
at their poorest. There are few crops that can be more easily growTi on a fairly 
good soil which will give a greater amount of green feed per acre and be valuable 
for both growing and fattening animals. As they keep well in the ground until 
late in the spring, it is usually better to save them for January and February 
grazing. 

The yield is variable— from 400 to 800 bushels per acre. In a test at the 
Oregon Station, hogs that were given the run of an artichoke field and were also 
given a partial feed of grain, made a gain of one pound in weight for each 3.1 pounds 
of grain fed, while it usually takes about 43^^ pounds of grain to make one pound 
of gain. In tests made at the Missouri Agricultural College, one bushel of arti- 
chokes and three bushels of corn were found superior to four bushels of corn, and 
other tests have given similar results. The inexpensive gain in weight is not the 
only advantage in using artichokes, as the better health consequent on adding to 
the ration this fresh and succulent feed is a matter of great importance, especially 
in animals which are kept for fattening. 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 31 

Barley. Barley, if rolled, is nearly as valuable as corn; it should, however, 
be fed in combination with corn, wheat, middlings, skim milk, roots, alfalfa, etc. 
In these combinations it will be found to be one of the best of feeds for pork pro- 
duction. It is said to produce good, firm, finely flavored pork. Should be soaked 
or groimd for best results. — Farmers' Bulletins Nos. 443 and 518. 

Bluegrass. A good pasture in early spring and late fall, but inferior to 
alfalfa, clover or rape. 

Bran. A coarse, bulky feed. Rich in ash and good for brood sows. Too 
•bulky for pigs or fattening hogs. 

Buttermilk. Makes an excellent feed where it is not diluted too much 
with churn washings. 

Buckwheat. A good fattening feed, though not equal to wheat. 

Blood Meal. In feeding blood meal, which is a valuable supplement to corn 
or other grains, care should be taken to feed it with its own weight of wheat mid- 
dlings in order that the pigs will relish it. 

Blood meal is especially valuable where no skimmed milk is to be had. A 
splendid tonic for runty pigs and a good corrector of scours. 

Canadian Field Peas. An excellent forage crop, especially when combined 
with oats and rape or with rape alone. 

Clover. In sections where it grows its grazing value is about equal to that 
of vetch, but very few localities have been found where both succeeded, though 
one of the two can be made to grow on nearly all soils, and the one which succeeds 
best should be grown by every hog raiser for winter and early spring grazing. 

Red clover is one of the best hog forages. Alsike clover is not so good alone, 
but can be mixed with red clover to advantage. Mammoth clover is not so valu- 
able for hog pastures as the red. Sweet clover makes a very good hog pasture 
the first year after seeding, but is not relished so well the second. A few pounds 
per acre mixed with red and alsike make a first-class pasture. Sweet clover is 
principally valuable where other clovers will not grow. 

Clover hay may be used for brood sows, but is not so good as alfalfa. 

The prudent stockman will always provide some kind of roughage so as to 
keep both his stock in good health and the cost of his concentrates down as low 
as possible. — Farmers' Bulletins Nos. 445 (Red Clover) and 485 (Sweet Clover). 

Corn. In the Middle States corn has always been a staple food for hogs and 
in that country is the best and cheapest for "finishing off" to make the animal 
ready for butchering. What applies to corn in the Middle States applies to corn 
and grains in this section of the country. Corn can be grown in the Pacific North- 
west, and every farmer who goes into the business of hog-raising should make a 
thorough test of the possibilities of corn-growing. It does not follow that it must 
come to full maturity in order to be valuable. In many sections of the coimtry 
com is cut and shocked while the ear is in the milk, and it makes a valuable feed 
when prepared that way. Each of the grains is a fattening food; they are not the 
best for young animals or breed stock. When young animals have an abundant 
range with a good supply of nitrogenous feeds like alfalfa, clover, vetch and field 
peas, the grains make a valuable addition to the ration, but they should not be 
given in excess and will usually be found more profitable if mixed with shorts, 
bran or some other food containing a large portion of protein. It is wise to give 
much more attention to the productiveness of a variety, its uniformity and its 
adaptability to the soil and climate where it is to be grown, than to the varietal 
name. A variety or strain can be rendered exceedingly productive by proper 
breeding. Careful breeders of productive strains of corn are needed in every com- 



32 PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 

munity, and growers who do not care to grow a special seed patch and select their 
seed with care should buy the best seed obtainable. A bushel of seed corn wiU 
plant six acres and seed of the best quality will increase the yield 10 bushels per 
acre, thereby increasing the harvest 60 bushels for each bushel of seed planted. 
While it is true that proper attention to seed selection and methods of cultivation 
will increase greatly the average production per acre for all land now devoted to 
corn-growing, it is equally true that the cultivation of corn will never be found 
profitable on very poor land, and corn-growing should never be attempted on 
poor soil imtil it is brought into a fertile condition by the growing and plowing 
under of a leguminous crop, the application of manures and otherwise cultivating 
the land. The nature of the corn plant is such that it will not produce grain miless 
the soil is rich enough to afford a considerable growth of stalk. The richer the 
soil is the heavier the yield will be. Corn will not thrive where there is clay in 
the soil or where it is boggy. The lowland should be well drained and the soil 
where the clay abounds should be enriched.* Methods that produce the best 
results in some States have failed to produce good results in others. Some sec- 
tions having fertile soil and good rainfall require for the best jdelds thick planting, 
while in other sections poor soils or scant}- rainfall require thin planting. In some 
sections with deep soils and subject to prolonged dry weather the best results are 
obtained by planting in a furrow; while in sections where the land is low and wet 
or where the rainfall is excessive, the best results follow when the corn is planted 
on a ridge. The most valuable information regarding the growing of corn in any 
particular section can be obtained from imprejudiced, observant corn-growers 
of many years' experience. The methods of cultivation in general use in one sec- 
tion of the country differ greatly from those in another section. 

Many fields of corn are now dotting the acres of Northwestern States. The 
idea of corn-growing of course is new, and we give below directions by Mr. C. L. 
Smith for growing corn in this section of the country. 



FALL PREPARATION OF CORN GROUND. 

To secure the best results, the ground should be rolled and disced immedi- 
ately after harvest and as much manure as is available spread thinly but evenly 
over the ground during the winter or as early in the spring as possible. The groimd 
should be disced in the spring as soon as it is dry enough so it will not puddle, and 
disced again in a week or ten days; when dry enough so it will not crumble from 
the mould board of the plow, plow S or 10 inches deep. Disc the same day, then 
harrow every week until planting time. 



SPRING PRECARATION OF CORN LAND. 

Disc as soon as it is drj- enough, so the 3oil will not puddle, then harrsw. When 
dry enough so that it will crumble from the mould board of the plow, plow 8 or 10 
inches deep. Disc the same day. Ordinarily one discing will put the groimd in 
fairly good condition, but the increased yield of corn will more than pay for discing 
twice or three times. Thereafter the ground should be harrowed once a week imtil 
the weather is warm enough so that the corn will sprout and grow quickl3\ 

Get the best available; this would be an early maturing varietj^ that had been 
gro-mi in the locality for a nmnber of j'ears. When this is not possible, then get 
the best Xorthern-grown, early-maturing variety available. 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 33 

Test for germination and never risk a crop on seed that will not test at least 
90 per cent germinating quality. 

Plant in hills 42 inches apart each way, two kernels in a hill. 

Plant one to one and one-half inches deep. If planted by hand, step on each 
hill to firm the soil. 

Harrow with a spike-tooth harrow, teeth set very slanting, within five days 
after planting. 

Thereafter harrow each week imtil the corn is two or three inches high, then 
cultivate every week or ten days until the corn is tasseled out. 

SEED SEIECTION. 

Select your seed corn wdth much care. Ask your Agricultural College to test 
your seed for you or tell you how to do so. — Bulletin No. 141, Maryland Agri- 
cultural Experiment Station, College Park, Maryland; Bulletin No. 81, United 
States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C; Bulletin No. 106, Iowa 
State College, Ames, low^a; Farmers' Bulletins Nos. 229 and 253. 

Cotton Seed Meal. Cotton seed meal is particularly fatal, swine frequently 
dying where concentrates in this form, are used. 

Cow Peas. Cow peas and corn form a valuable feed when fed as a mixture. 
Cow peas are not generally grown in this section of the country, but where tried 
out have been found to be the equal of corn in food value. 

A good way to feed it is to pasture the crop. Most of the nutriment is fur- 
nished by the seed, not the leaves of the plant. Can also be fed as ripe hay or in 
form of meal.— Bulletins No. 16, 89 and 121, United States Department of Agri- 
culture, Washington, D. C; Farmers' Bulletin No. 318. 

Digester Tankage. As a ration balancer, digester tankage is proving more 
popular in the Northwest each year. Through the Central States it has been 
used for years and is recognized by all the leading experiment stations of the 
Middle States as necessary for the brood sow and from the pig to the market hog. 
It is a well-known fact that a hog is a partly carniverous animal and requires a 
certain amount of animal protein to make it thrive normally. The sow at the 
time of farrowing is robbed of a large percentage of her actual being which 
can be properly replaced if she is fed digester tankage previously, at the rate of 
J^ or ^ pound per head per day. Or, in other words, her ration should consist 
of from 10 to 12% tankage. This will assure a good, strong litter of pigs, with 
healthy foimdation on which to build future market hogs. At 100 pounds a hog 
should be eating in his ration at least J^ poimd tankage per day. This amount 
should be worked up to % pound by the time the hog is 220 poimds, making an 
average of 3^ pound per day for the entire feeding, during the time the hog is 100 
pounds to 220 poimds. This approximates 10% of its ration. Pigs under 100 
pounds should be fed on the basis of the 100-pound pig, figuring according to weight. 
. Tankage is a straight meat product, dried and ground and contains no dis- 
ease. It is put through a process of 40 poimds steam pressure for ten hours 

All the agricultural colleges of the Northwest recommend tankage very 
highly and their bulletins and tests can be had by applying to them. 

Emmer. This is a comparatively new grain in this coimtry and is especially 
adapted to the semi-arid regions. For brood sow^s used in connection with bran 
and shorts it should make an excellent food. It is especially high in the protein 
content. — Farmers' Bulletin 139-466. 

Ensilage. Has little place in hog feeding, it being too bulky and washy. 
Feeding place difficult to keep clean, and resultant decay may cause abortion in 
brood sows. 



34 PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 

Feterita. While feterita has not been tried out completely in the Northwest, 
in several sections shows up well in point of production. Makes an excellent feed 
for hogs. Similar to kaffir corn in value. 

Field Peas. Field peas give a rich grazing from July until October and should 
be grown for use during the late summer and early fall. Being rich in protein, they 
make excellent food for growing animals in any section of the country where the 
rainfall is from 12 inches upward, and field peas should be used as a rotating crop 
with wheat. In sections where artichokes are grown, peas for early use may be 
sown on the ground from which the artichokes are harvested and they should be 
ready for grazing in two months from the time of planting. 

Peas when fed whole by turning the pigs in on the cured vines on the ground 
produce about 400 pounds gain to the acre. The unthreshed vines after being 
stacked, fed in yards, produce about 700 pounds of gain to the acre. It is recom- 
mended that barley, wheat, potatoes or roots be fed once a day to pigs foraging 
on peas. — Farmers' Bulletin No. 224; Bulletin No. 47, Agricultural Experiment 
Station, Fort Collins, Colorado. 

Garbage. Refuse products from large hotels or city collections are fed to 
hogs extensively, and invariably cause a variety of disorders. In the first place 
its composition varies greatly from day to day and oftentimes death results from 
its use. If used on a large scale arrangements should be made to sort the mixture 
and steam or cook thoroughly before feeding; furthermore, it should never be fed 
extensively, but rather mixed with corn and middlings or other staple feeds of 
known composition. In this way the feeder can eliminate many of the disorders 
often encountered and at the same time utilize the bulk of the collected feed. The 
feeding of small amounts several times a day of such products will give more sat- 
isfactory results. — Live Stock Commission of New Jersey, Circular No. 1. 

Kaffir Corn. Where corn and wheat is high in price, kaffir corn can be sub- 
stituted. It is so hard that it will usually have to be ground or soaked. 

Kale. Thousand-headed kale is one of the very best winter succulent feeds 
for hogs grown west of the Cascades. It will winter grown hogs nicely without 
other supplemental feed. For yoimg growing hogs a small supplemental feed of 
grain is required for best results. The soil should be made rich for kale, using 
planty of stable manure. Sow the seed in drills or seed beds early in the spring 
and transplant about the first of July, setting the plants three feet apart each way. 
Cultivate similar to corn. If good cultivation is given the crop will be ready to 
feed by the first of October and will be good in an ordinary winter until the fol- 
lowing April. The yield will depend, of course, upon the fertility of the soil, but 
should be from 15 to 40 tons per acre. 

The cost of producing kale in Oregon is under usual conditions about $2.35 
per ton. Kale may be made especially valuable in renovating old hog lots. — 
Bulletin No. 102, Oregon Agricultural College, Corvallis, Oregon. 

Linseed Oil Meal. Linseed oil meal fed as a supplement with wheat middlings 
or corn shows a good per cent of gain. Linseed meal seems to be characterized by 
hard fat in the pigs fed with it. 

A good feed for sows shortly before farrowing, and with middlings makes a 
good swill for little pigs. 

Mangels. Largely composed of water, like other root crops. They are 
chiefly valuable for the variety and bulk they add to the brood sow's ration. 

Millets. Millets as a "catch crop" or a supplementary crop can hardly be 
excelled. Can be used as an excellent substitute for corn in preparing hogs for 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 35 

market. In this case the seed only would be fed. It can, however, be used as a 
forage.— Farmers' Bulletin No. 101. 

Meat Meal. See Digester Tankage. 

Middlings and Bran. Shorts and bran are among the best feeds for growing 
animals, and when they can be had for $20 or less per ton, will always be more 
profitable than corn for young stock. For young pigs bran is not so good as shorts, 
as it often has an irritating effect on the bowels, and when fed too liberally causes 
scours and other troubles from which the animal is slow in recovering. Shorts, 
when fed in reasonable amounts, seldom causes such troubles, and is usually the 
best and cheapest grain feed for use during the first three or four months. As the 
animal grows older bran may be used more freely. 

Middlings fed as a slop is the standard feed for little pigs the first few weeks 
after they begin to eat. 

Field peas may be used in place of shorts or bran, but as they require grinding 
their economical use is confined to the feeding of young animals, and the crop can 
commonly be used more profitably in other ways. 

Milo. Milo has proved a good dry-land crop. The composition is almost the 
same as corn. While not grown to any extent in this territory, its possibilities as 
an efficient stock food are large. — Farmers' Bulletin No. 322. 

Oats and Vetch. A mixture of winter oats and hairy vetch, sown in October 
or November, makes an excellent grazing crop for use after the artichokes are 
gone. When sown on fairly good wheat ground this crop will have made such a 
rank growth by February that it will furnish good grazing during the next two 
or three months. The winter oats bear grazing better than rye or barley, are 
less easily injured by freezing and will continue their fresh growth much later in 
the spring. It is undoubtedly the best grain crop we have for grazing. The vetch 
also makes a vigorous growth, and pound for pound gives a feed richer in protein 
or muscle-forming food than any other common pasture plant. Its unusually 
large proportion of protein makes it especially valuable for young and growing 
animals and it gives the very best of early grazing for fall pigs which are to be 
kept through the summer. When the oats begin to head and the vetch to flower, 
in April, stock should be taken off so as to allow the plants to mature seed, which 
they will do late in May or early in June. The groimd should than be plowed and 
planted in field peas or some other summer crop, which can be cut for hay or 
grazed off in September and October, after which the vetch seed left in the ground, 
and usually the oats also, will make a volunteer growth fully as good as that of 
the previous season. Rotation has been used six years without replanting the 
vetch and there has been an almost constant increase in the yield. In some sea- 
sons the vokmteer oats have failed to make a full stand, but the vetch has never 
failed to make a satisfactory growth. One bushel of the oats and one peck of 
vetch seed are sufficient to seed an acre. The soil should be a rich loam which 
is not too light. The vetch has not often been satisfactory on sandy soil imless 
properly inoculated. By the time the hogs are removed from the oats and vetch 
the permanent pastures will be in fine condition and will give good grazing for 
many weeks. This will be especially true where alfalfa, melilotus and clovers are 
grown and at this time but little grain need be fed. During the early summer 
months growth of bone and muscle are more important than the accimaulation 
of fat, and, although it pays to feed a little grain at all times, the amount used 
during the early summer may safely be less than at any other season. Whole oats 
make an excellent feed for brood sows and boars when not too high-priced. Can 
be ground and substituted for middlings when the price warrants. Oats are not 



36 PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 

high enough in protein to balance the corn ration alone. — Farmers' Bulletins Nos. 
424 and 515. 

Oil Meal. See Linseed Meal . 

Potatoes. Potatoes to effect the -greatest value should be cooked. A good 
method is given in a little pamphlet issued by the Portland Union Stock Yards 
Company, entitled "Potatoes for Fattening Pigs." It is generallj^ held that one 
part of grain is equal to about 4.5 parts of cooked potatoes by weight. A small 
amount of digester tankage would help the ration. Effective results may be had 
in the following ration: Ground or rolled barley, cooked potatoes and skim milk. 

Pumpkins and Squashes. No hog farm is complete without a crop of 
pumpkins or squashes. Usually they can be grown in the cornfield. They can 
either be cooked or fed raw to young pigs and brood sows. The seeds are an 
excellent worm remedy and have some value as a corrective of the urinary sj^stem. 

Pasture. The value of pasture for fattening pigs is given in the following 

table, taken from Henry's "Feed and Feeding": 

No. Lbs. ave. Lbs. grain for 

of pigs. daily gain. 100 lbs. gain. 

Full grain ration in pens 74 0.9 484 

Full grain ration on pasture 20 1.2 413 

Three-fourths grain ration on pasture 17 1.0 383 

One-half grain ration on pasture 16 0.7 304 

One-fourth grain ration on pasture 10 0. 5 247 

Pasture only 19 0.2 

Green alfalfa only, in pens 2 0.3 

The hog raiser should never be without some kind of pasture. Not only 
health but economical production and the reproduction of good thrifty pigs depend 
upon it. 

The fields for grazing should be made rich and thoroughly prepared or there 
will be disappointment. Deep break them in August, if possible; follow the same 
day with the disc and finish with a section harrow. Broadcast a thousand poimds 
of air-slacked or quick-lime per acre before using the harrow. 

The fields to be planted in wheat and vetch, in rape and clover, and in alfalfa 
should receive 300 pounds per acre of raw bone or 500 pounds of high-grade acid 
phosphate, or 10 loads of well-rotted stable manure, broadcast ten days before 
planting. The wheat should be rust-proof and beardless. 

The fields for sorghum, soy beans and field peas should be sown to oats (where 
oats are hardy in winter, and where not, to wheat for winter grazing) and plowed 
under in the spring before planting the main crops. The foregoing directions are 
for the first planting of the fields. After this the farmer can rotate according to 
maturity of crops. Plant field peas broadcast thicklj' and cultivate in. Use IH 
bushels of seed per acre. 

Use 2 to,4 poimds of rape per acre, depending on fertility of soil, and 10 pounds 
of clover seed. 

Use the orange variety- of sorghum. Plant in drills 3 feet apart, using one-half 
bushel of seed per acre. — Bulletin No. 147, United States Department of Agri- 
culture, Washington, D. C.; Farmers' Bulletin No. 278. 

Proprietary Stock Foods. As a general rule it is unwise to feed any of the 
so-called stock foods; they do not seem to have any beneficial effect on the diges- 
tion. A hundred pounds of wheat will produce as much or more gain when fed alone 
than it will if fed with stock foods added to it. — Bulletin No. 105, South Dakota 
Agricultural Experimental Station, Brookings, South Dakota. 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 37 

Rape. This is a cabbage-like forage aad makes an excellent green feed. Can 
also be planted for pasturage. Two crops of Dwarf Essex, the most reliable, can 
be planted — one for early and the other for late pasturage. It is an excellent reno- 
vator for old hog lots or pens, creating good sanitary conditions and destroying 
germs. — Bulletin No. 164, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, 
D. C; Farmers' Bulletin No. 164. 

Roots. Experiments at the agricultural stations have found great value in 
feeding various roots such as sugar beets, mangels, carrots, artichokes, potatoes, 
sweet potatoes, etc. The chief value in any of the roots seems to be the great 
gains made by the pigs in growing. The good effect of the roots on the digestive 
organs seems to produce great thrift and growth. It is well to reduce the amount 
of roots toward the end of the feeding time and finish on grain so as to get the 
proper quantity of fat. 

Rye. Valuable for late fall or early spring pasture. Not good for hogging 
down. The grain makes a fair feed for almost any class of hogs if soaked. Rye 
middlings can be used instead of wheat middlings. Rye smut or ergot will cause 
abortion in pregnant sows. 

Shorts. See Middlings. 

Skim Milk. Skim milk should always be used when it is available. It is not 
only a good flesh producer in itself, but it also makes the ordinary grain feeds more 
digestible and so adds greatly to their value. While skim milk alone is rarely 
profitable, from 20 to 40 pounds being required to make a pound of meat, when 
mixed with grain in the proportion of 3 pounds to each poimd of grain, its value is 
greatly increased. The Oregon Station reports that in feeding this proportion it 
secured 81 cents per himdred poimds for skim milk in two experiments. In a test 
reported to C. P. Goodrich, 1 bushel of corn produced 10 pounds of pork, and 100 
pounds of skim milk produced 5 poimds of pork, when fed separately. When fed 
together, however, the mixture produced 18 pounds of meat, an increase of 3 pounds 
due to the mixing. In this case 100 poimds of skim milk took the place of 44.8 
pounds of corn. If the corn was worth 25 cents per bushel, the skim milk was 
worth 19.6 cents per 100 pounds; if the corn was worth 40 cents, the milk was 
worth 31.4 cents. Extended tests in the feeding of skim milk have been made at 
the Utah Station and among the facts brought out by the work are these: "The 
hogs fed on the milk-and-grain ration made much more rapid gains than either 
those fed on milk alone or on grain alone. The time required to make 100 pounds 
of gain was 79 days for the hogs fed on milk and grain, 116 days for those fed on 
grain alone, and 147 days when the feed was milk alone. The milk-and-grain fed 
lots required 2.58 pounds of digestible matter, the milk-fed lots 2.85 pounds, and 
the grain-fed lots 3.19 pounds to make one pound of gain in live weight." In this 
case 100 pounds of skim milk took the place of 23.2 pounds of grain in the mixture. 
Work at other stations has given very similar results and has demonstrated when 
not more than 4 poimds of skim milk is used with each poimd of grain, the milk is 
worth from 15 to 30 cents per hundred pounds. (See Oregon experiments above.) 
The younger and smaller the hogs the higher is the value of milk. For full-grown 
and aged animals it is of less value. It may be taken as a safe rule that it is profit- 
able to pay at least 15 to 25 cents per hundred pounds for all the skim milk needed 
to make four times the weight of the grain fed, and where it is impossible to secure 
enough for all the hogs, the available supply should be given to those pigs nearest 
the weaning age and to sows that are suckling pigs. 

Soy Beans. A high protein feed. Valuable for hogging down — either with 
corn or as a supplement; also makes a good supplemental feed if mowed when 



38 PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 

nearly ripe and fed to the hogs through the winter, vines and all. Soy bean meal 
is sometimes used as a substitute for tankage or oil meal. 

Sugar Beets. Have about the same value as mangels. 

Stubble Fields. Wheat farmers find by turning hogs into the stubble fields 
for "hogging down" that an almost clear profit can be made without very much 
effort. The grain the hogs get in this manner would be wasted otherwise. The 
mistake of overloading the stubble field with pigs should not be made. 

Tankage. See Digester Tankage. 

Vetch. One of the most valuable forage crops of the Northwest is vetch. It 
is richer in protein and mineral matter than alfalfa. The green hay can be fed 
to pigs or they can be turned into a pasture. The dry hay may be fed to brood 
sows or fattening shoats with good results. 

Wheat. Here in the West wheat is fed extensively, and it has been shown by 
many experiences that wheat can be fed equally as well as corn. It can be fed in 
several ways: whole, rolled, wheat middlings, wheat shorts, or as wheat bran. 
Possibly the best way to feed wheat is in the rolled form. — Bulletin No. 80, Oregon 
Agricultural College; Bulletin No. 90, South Dakota Agricultural Station, Brook- 
ings, South Dakota. 



40 PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 



Houses and Equipment 

Three objects should be constantly kept in mind when building a hog house. 
The first and most important is dry, comfortable sleeping quarters. The body 
heat required to keep a hog warm in a wet bed or on a cement floor is equivalent 
to several poimds of feed per week in the winter, and the heat combined with 
moisture in the summer will cause vmpleasant smells and breed disease germs. 
Have the sleeping quarters in the highest part of the hog house, so that water will 
drain away from it — not into it. Face the hog house to the south so as to admit 
sunlight to as much of the interior as possible. 

A large central house together with a number of colony pens has proved a 
good plan. The portable houses are especially useful in housing different classes 
and sizes of hogs in separate fields. They are used extensively for brood sows 
after farrowing. 



THE "A" SHAPED PORTABLE HOUSE. 

The "A" shaped house is one of the easiest the farmer can construct. The 
sides form the roof and if well constructed will shed water without the use of 
shingles or roofing paper. By means of the runners, which may be beveled off 
on the lower edge, the house is easily moved from one location to another. The 
construction is so simple that we give only the lumber bill, which follows: 

Nine pieces 1' x 12" x 16' and 11 O. G. batten.s 16' long for roof. 

Three pieces 2" x 6" x 16' and 11 O. G. battens 16' long for roof. 

Five pieces 1" x 12" x 14' for ends. 

One piece 2" x 4" x 10' for ridge. 

Two pieces 2" x 8" x 10' for plate. 

Seven pieces 2" x 4" x 16' for rafters and braces in'frame. 

Three pieces 2" x 6" x 8' for runners. 

Four pieces 1" x 12" x 16' rough for flooring. 




"A" SHAPED PORTABLE HOG HOUSE. 

This type'of pen is the easiest and cheapest to construct and will be found very convenient. — 
Wisconsin Bulletin No. 242. 

Some Producers place two of these 8'x8' houses upon a platform 16' square. They are easily 
moved in this manner and always provide clean dry qurters. 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 



41 



A. 






■f^- 
/ 



7 i 




rai i P P 



UTILITY BUILDING FOR HOUSING SWINE. 
A building of this type should be high enough to store on the second floor bedding and feed, and 
should be provided with as many windows as possible. It should face so as to admit the morning sun 
in one side and the afternoon sun in the other. — Wisconsin Bulletin No. 242. 




^.^vjllgjg^^ ill 



';:V-:!'?,'i-v<|)«j,j^.^,j( 






T^:i}%^fm 



SHED ROOF PERMANENT HOG HOUSE. 
Where only ten or twelve brood sows are kept and a central house is preferred, a building 16' by 48 
wide proves useful. Cement floors can be constructed to good advantage in front or at the rear. For 
farrowing 12 separate pens can be obtained by putting in a temporary partition lengthwise and dividing 
the space on each side equally. — ^Wisconsin Bulletin No. 242. 



42 PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 

If a door is thought necessary it can readily be constructed by the builder. 
The ventilator together with the door will provide plenty of ventilation. 

SHED ROOF PORTABLE HOG HOUSE. 

Many hog raisers prefer the shed roof portable house. The house shown in 
our cut is 6 ft. 4 in. wide and 8 feet long. There is a door in the rear the same 
size as the lower one in front 2 feet wide and 2j^ feet high. The rear door is placed 
diagonally opposite the front. Upper front doors are placed for additional ven- 
tilation. A wooden ratchet holds this door in the proper position. 

Specifications. — Construct the frame eight feet long by six feet four inches 
wide on seven 2"x4" joists six feet long, and two pieces of 2"x4" nailed across the 
ends of the joists. This will make the foundation for the floor six feet four inches 




SHED ROOF HOG HOUSE. 
Although houses of this type are more difficult and expensive to construct, many prefer them to the 
"A" shaped pens. — Wisconsin Bulletin No. 242. 

wide and eight feet long. Beneath the frame are nailed three 2"x4" pieces which 
serve as rimners for moving the building. The house is built six feet two inches 
high in front and three feet high in the rear. Seven twelve-foot boards cut in two 
can be used for boarding the front of the house. The small space left at the top 
may be closed by a batten or frieze board. Two eye bolts should be securely 
inserted in one end of the joist for attachment when the house is to be moved. 

This shed roof house is somewhat more difficult to construct and requires 
more material for the floor space covered than the "A" shaped pen. A shingled 
roof is necessary to insure the best results, and that of course is an additional 
expense. 

The following lumber is necessary to construct the house described: 

Six pieces 2" X 4" X 16' 

Five pieces 2" X 4" X 12' 

Two pieces 2" x 4" x 14', for frame. 

Three pieces 1" X 12° X 16', rough for floor. 

Eleven pieces 1" x 12" x 12' (dressed one side), for sides and ends. 

Eleven pieces 1" x 12" x 12' (dressed one side), for sides and ends. 

Five pieces 1" x 12" x 16' (dressed one side), for roof. 

Four pieces O. G. battens 16' long and eleven pieces O. G. battens 12' long, for roof and sides. 

If a shingled roof is desired, the following material is necessary for roofing: 

One piece 1" X 12" X 14' 

Five pieces 1" x 6" x 14' (dressed one side) . 

Three bunches of shingles. 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 



43 



LARGE SHED ROOF PORTABLE HOUSE. 

This house shown is 8 feet by 12 feet and is constructed in the same manner 
as the small shed roof portable house. A partition may be constructed in the 
middle so that two lots may be kept in the same house. Since it is well supplied 
with doors this house is exceedingly well ventilated. A shade may be attached 
to the rear if desired. The chief objection to this house is the difficulty in moving. 

. Lumber bill follows: 

Eight pieces 2' x 4" x 12' 

Three pieces 2" x 6" x 12' 

Two pieces 2" x 4" x 18' 

Six pieces 2" x 4" x Ifi' 

Three pieces 2" x 4" x 14' 

Eight pieces 1" x 12" x 12' (rough) for floor 

Eight pieces 1" x 12" x 14' 

Six pieces 1" x 12" x 12' 

Two pieces 1" x 12" x 10' 

One piece 1" x 12" x 16', for sides and ends 

One piece 1" x 6" x 12', for braces and cross pieces for doors 

Thirty-six pieces O. G. battens 10' long, for sides 

Thirteen pieces 1" x 12" x 10', for roof 

For a shingled roof it ^ill require 130 feet of rough lumber 14 feet long and six 
bundles of shingles laid 4^ inches to the weather. A shingle roof is preferable. 



STATIONARY HOG HOUSES. 

Stationary houses have been plamied in great variety. One's farm and methods 
in hog raising must be taken into consideration in planning this kind of house. 
We give several cuts of houses that have proven satisfactory. The various Agri- 
cultural Colleges can give you practical and detailed information for the building 
of these houses. 







^1'PT""'T^1IIW"'^.,.. :.:...,, 1,,:: 



LARGE SUNLIGHT HOG HOUSE. 



—Wisconsin Bulletin No. 242. 



44 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 




2"* 6' Runner 



FRAME WORK OF AN "A" SHAPED PORTABLE HOG HOUSE. 
By using the size of lumber described and cutting it the length given in this bulletin, the "A" 
shaped house can be constructed without the employment of a carpenter. — Wisconsin Bulletin No. 242. 






;tff,. 




tW^' 







'Mi' 



s«^' 






PORTABLE HOG HOUSE WITH SHADE ATTACHED. 
To be used where no other shade is available. 

— Wisconsin Bulletin No. 242. 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 



45 




BREEDING CRATE. 

The use of the breeding crate is growing in favor. When a large sow is to be 
bred to a small boar or a small sow to a large boar, it is almost a necessity. Some 

sows, even when in heat, will not take the 
boar readily, and the use of the crate 
in these cases insures a successful service. 
Such an appliance can be made by any 
farmer. All that is necessary is a frame 
made of 2"x4" lumber, closed in front 
and open behind with a bar made to slip 
behind the sow just behind the hocks, 
an adjustable railing on each side of the 
sow for the boar's feet to rest on, and a 
platform on which the boar can stand. 
This platform should be constructed so that it can be raised or lowered as 
necessary. A good size is 6 feet long, 23^^ feet wide and about 4 feet high. A 
windlass is used for raising the platform. 



^■^M^isXr^JI' 



CEMENT HOG WALLOW. 
The cement hog wallow should be located in 
a shady place and made so as to contain from 
eight to ten inches of water. Crude oil or coal 
tar dip, poured into the water, will help keep 
swine free from lice and their skin in good con- 
dition. — Wisconsin Bulletin No. 242. 



DIPPING TANKS. 

The dipping tank probably supplies the most effective means of eradicating 
lice. In using cold tar dips, be sure to dip twice so as to destroy the newly-hatched 
nits at the second dipping. 

Kerosene emulsion or crude oil preparations may be used with effect. 




LoriGlTUDiIiAL Slctiom 



Cross Sectiow 



CEMENT DIPPING TANK. 
Warm weather is the best time to dip. Two or three treatments per year will usually keep the 
herd free from parasites. — Wisconsin Bulletin No. 242. 



FENCES. 

Above -everything, build your own fences right, and build them permanent. 
Once your hogs learn they can get through your fence trouble begins. Not only 
does this prevent control of your own herd, but puts you absolutely at the mercy 
of your neighbor's diseased, fighting and scrub animals, which will contaminate 
and worry your hogs and make you feed many pounds more food to catch up the 
weights lost by worry. Always remember it is the contented and quiet dispo- 
sitioned hog that puts on weight. 



46 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 



6 


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^2 5 


1 


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6 








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A CONVENIENT, EASILY CARRIED HURDLE. 
These may be made in single panel lengths, but the hinged hurdle is more useful in sorting and 
catching pigs. — Wisconsin Bulletin No. 242. 



FLOORS FOR HOG HOUSE. 

A great deal can be said in favor of both cement and plank floors. A cement 
floor has the advantage of insuring clean pens and is also, practically speaking, 
permanent if rightly laid. Its disadvantages are that when slippery, hogs are 

more or less apt to fall and cripple them 
selves and it is also responsible for a great 
deal of rheumatism, with which hogs are 
nowadays affected. The plank floor is 
perhaps the better of the two, all things 
considered, although such a floor will not 
last over six or eight years before it will 
need to be replaced and as soon as the 
planks begin to rot so that there are holes 
in the floor it becomes dangerous for the 
hogs to be on, and is also very draughty, 
especially in winter. We would not 
adviseputting sand under a plank floor as 
it would soon become a disease breeder. 
Perhaps the best floor for a hog house, all things considered, is to have it all 
cemented with a raised platform of planks on one side to be used for sleeping 
quarters. In this way the hogs will not have to lie on the cement and they will 
have the advantages of both the plank and cement floors without the accompanying 
disadvantages of either. 




FENCING IN THE FEED LOT. 
The portable fence is made to enclose the 
portable house and for enclosing temporary 
quarters and lots. The panels are held erect by 
the supports which should be nailed to stakes 
driven into the ground. — Wisconsin Bulletin 
No. 242. 



HOG OILER. 

Some means should be taken by every hog raiser to provide crude oil for his 
herd. This can be done in a number of ways. Numerous patterns of hog oilers 
are on the market for the pur^DOse. An oiler can also be improvised by setting a 
post into the ground and wrapping a gunny 'sack aroimd it. Soak the sack with 
crude oil. Hogs will soon form the habit of rubbing against the oiled surface 
to rid themselves of lice. 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 47 

TROUGHS. 

Well made troughs are a necessity. The most common form is the V-shaped 
trough. This may be improved by nailing cross strips at intervals of about 12 
inches, which keep the hogs from crowding and from getting into the troughs. 
Another convenient plan is to build the troughs across the front of the hog pen, 
fastening them securely. Iron troughs are sometimes recommended. They are 
very good but expensive. The front of the pen may be hmrg on hinges. To it is 
attached a strong iron rod which fits into holes at the outside edge of the trough 
and holds the pen front firmly. When feeding, the front is swung inward and the 
rod inserted in the inside edge of the trough. The pigs cannot then get to the feed 
until the pen front is swimg out. This permits putting the feed evenly in the trough 
without being interfered with by the animals. 

Never permit the troughs to get sour or filthy, as is often the case when animals 
are overfed and fail to get all that is put before them. Concrete troughs cost more 
than wooden ones, but pay for themselves both in wearing and sanitary qualities. 
Be sure to clean them every day. 




h 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 49 



Diseases and Sanitation 

Hogs are, like all other animals, subject to many diseases. If you do not 
have a good work on Diseases of Farm Animals, write your agricultural experiment 
station for definite information. Give them good, definite data and they will 
supply you with good methods to eradicate. The cause of nearly all diseases of 
hogs can be traced to insanitary conditions of the hog premises. 

DISINFECTING. 

There is no place on the farm where disinfectants are more useful than in the 
hog house or yards. Whitewash, air-slaked lime, chloride of lime, stock dips, 
compounds of creosote, crude carbolic acid or other commercial disinfectants are 
commonly used. Pastures and hog lots may be improved by removing the hogs 
for a few weeks each year, and cleaning away all litter. The unused lots can be 
plowed and planted with a suitable forage crop. Precautions against contamina- 
tions of food and drinking water must be taken. Muddy yards soon become filthy 
and endanger the health of animals. They should be well drained, and all wallow 
lots filled. It is poor practice to use pens and yards where drainage from other 
lots collects or puddles. The quarters where hog cholera has raged should be 
thoroughly cleaned ; all walls, floors and troughs scraped, after which a good dis- 
infectant should be applied with a brush or force spray pump. All litter should be 
removed and burned, the yards plowed and seeded or where this is not practical, 
dry straw spread over the ground and burned will be effective. Crude oil applied 
with a brush will effectually destroy lice and other external parasites. Repeat in 
seven days until all nits are killed. 

The following solutions are recommended for disinfecting premises: 

Compound of creosote 1 part to 30 parts of water. 

Crude carbolic acid 1 part to 30 parts of water. 

Corrosive sublimate 1 part to 800 parts of water. 

Circular No. 1. New Jersey Live Stock Commission; Farmers' Bulletin No. 345. 



HEALTHY HOGS IMPORTANT. 

A perfectly healthy, vigorous hog does not take cholera nearly as readily as 
a hog in unhealthy or poor condition. The condition of hogs is always important, 
but doubly so when cholera is raging in the country. 

Clean up the hog pens and lots. Filth is as objectionable to a hog as to a 
man. A cholera germ will live for months in a hog wallow, or in droppings, or 
around a dirty trough, or in the cracks in the wall or floor, and sometimes all 
winter, even in a northern State. All of these places should be cleaned up, and 
kept clean. If you had cholera last year, a good coat of whitewash, applied to 
everything, well sprayed or rubbed into the cracks and corners, is a good thing. 

Add 5 per cent carbolic acid. 

If there are wallows, fill them up with ashes or gravel. 



50 PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 




A Show Herd of Poland Chinas. 



All hog lots should be plowed up occasionally. 

Careful adherence to sanitary rules will go a long way toward keeping the 
swine herd free of diseases. 



HOG CHOLERA. 

Vaccination against hog cholera is a valuable and cheap insurance. If the 
boar and brood sows are immunized by the simultaneous method they will be 
out of danger from cholera for life and the pigs will be immune imtil weaned. The 
pigs may be given the single treatment at weaning time at very little expense 
and they will be safe long enough to develop and fatten for market. The expense 
of the single treatment is very small and it can be administered by the hog raiser 
himself. 

Hog cholera has been discussed so often that we give in very brief outline the 
following: 



How the Cholera Germ is Carried to Your Farm. 

1. By owners of diseased hogs. 

2. By the purchase of new stock. 

.3. By dogs, cats and other animals. 

4. By pigeons, crows, buzzards and other birds. 

5. By pasturing well hogs adjacent to sick ones. 

6. By infected streams. 

7. By hunters, hog buyers and visitors. 

8. By exchange work. 

9. On the wheels of vehicles. 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 



51 




Chester Whites in a New Clearing. 



Methods of Prevention. 



1. Clean up the hog pens. 

2. Use the dipping vat. 

3. Keep hogs free from worms and lice. 

4. Keep wood ashes, slacked lime, salt and soft coal in the hog lot. 

5. Provide pasture for summer and alfalfa or clover hay for winter feed. 

6. Fill up the hog wallow — provide bath tubs. (Germs live for months in 
filthy hog wallows.) 

7. Vaccinate hogs exposed to cholera, using only serum furnished by labora- 
tories operating under Federal or State license. 

8. Separate sick hogs from well ones. 

9. Kill and burn hogs seriously sick with cholera. 

10. If your hogs have cholera stay at home. 

11. If your neighbors' hogs have it stay away. 

12. Keep dogs and cats at home. 

13. Shoot pigeons, crows and other birds which fly from farm to farm. 

14. Keep hogs away from running streams, especially if there is cholera in 
the neighborhood. 

15. Question the hog buyer — find out where he has been before allowing him 
to go in your hog lot. 

16. No germs — ^no cholera. 

Farmers' Bulletin 379 and "Hog Cholera," a bulletin by the Portland Union 
Stock Yards Company, may both be read with profit. 



52 PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 

CHARCOAL IN THE FEED LOT. 

Hogs should have before them constantly charcoal if it can be had, and if not, 
wood or cob ashes, and slacked lime or old plaster, salt and fine, soft coal. A hog 
will not root if he can get what he needs without rooting. When your hogs are 
rooting they need something they are not getting in their feed. Supply it if possi- 
ble. 



A CONDITION POWDER. 

All animals kept in good condition have a natural tendency to ward off dis- 
ease; and it will be seen that proper feeding and care, cleanliness of quarters and 
yards will do much in the way of prevention. Clean, dry pens, regular and nutri- 
tious feeding, comfortable sleeping quarters, exposed to plenty of sunshine with 
the pens cleaned and disinfected regularly are factors necessary for keeping up 
the animal's vitality. Dipping when the weather is favorable, using any of the 
recognized effective mixtures; is a very good plan to keep the hogs thrifty and free 
from lice and other pests. Ma^y hog raisers feed the following mixture to aid 
digestion, stimulate circulation and to prevent worms: 

Wood charcoal, powdered 1 pound. 

Sulphur 1 pound. 

Sodium, chloride 2 pounds. 

Sodium, bicarbonate 2 pounds. 

Sodium, sulphate 2 pounds. 

Sodium, hyposulphate 1 pound. 

Antimony sulphide (black antimony) 1 pound. 

Dose: 1 large tablespoonful to each 200 pounds weight of animal daily, fed 
at varying intervals. 



CRUDE OIL. 

Crude oil is very effective in the killing of lice, mange, etc. Unforttmately 
there are some grades of crtide oil which irritate the animal's skin, especially 
when used in hot weather. 

A good grade of crude oil is one of the most effective insect killers known. 
An old sack saturated with the oil and placed so that it touches the pigs when they 
pass in and out of the farrowing house is an effective way of applying it. 



INFLAMED UDDER. 

If the udder of the sow becomes inflamed at farrowing time, apply heat by 
means of hot salt water followed by a light massage until the udder is compara- 
tively dry, then apply the following liniment, composed of equal parts of — 

Fluid extract of Phytolacca. 

Fluid extract of belladonna. 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 53 

LICE. 

There are several ways of getting rid of this almost ever-present pest. 

The rubbing post does the work automatically. An oiled cloth may be hung 
over the entrance of the hog house so that it will touch the hogs as they go in and 
out. Dipping is practicable. It is well to dip twice a few days apart, once for the 
lice and the next for the newly hatched nits. 



MANGE. 

Although true mange is rare in hogs, they are at times affected with a scabby 
or scurfy condition of the skin that can be remedied by the use of a wash or by 
dipping in a coal tar disinfectant. 



SCOURS. 

This trouble is caused usually by sudden change of feed. Be careful what you 
feed and of the amount. Cold, wet bedding is another cause. Keep the bedding 
dry, change often. It is an almost endless job through the weather we have some 
months, but it is a paying job at that. Do not feed soured slop or from a sour and 
unclean swill barrel. 



THUMPS. 

The best way to tref t this disease is like cholera — to prevent it — ^which can 
only be done by forcing the pigs to take exercise when they are very young. Pigs 
that are confined to the narrow limits of the pen become sluggish and large chunks 
of fat form around the heart, which injures its functions, and the lungs try to 
repair the damage, which is seen by the rapid heaving of the sides, commonly 
Ivnown as thumps. One should get his pigs out on the ground as quickly as possible, 
where they can have plenty of room to run about for exercise. If any are noticed 
to be sluggish and indifferent as to whether they leave their bed with the others, 
force them out and fasten up the hog house door to prevent them returning to 
their bed. Another way is to place the sleeping quarters some distance from the 
feeding place, requiring the pigs to run from one place to the other. Exercise, 
good feeding and sunlight is the only cure for thumps, but it must be given before 
the disease advances very far, to be of any service. 

The sows should have very little corn during the period of nursing, and while 
the pigs are making their first growth they should be given food containingra large 
percentage of protein, such as green clover, oats or milk and just enough corn to 
keep them growing nicely without getting too fat. 

Sunlight for the little pigs as well as proper feeding for the mother is necessary 
for the little fellows' development, and if they cannot get it in their pens they 
should be turned out and the door fastened for a few hours each day. 



54 PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 

WORMS. 

Intestinal worms do great damage to the hog herd, particularly when the 
hogs are young. A wormy hog is not a healthy one and will not make desirable 
gains. A method of prevention is: On the first and fifteenth of the month feed in 
a slop at the morning feeding turpentine in the following quantities: Pigs less than 
25 pounds, J^ teaspoonful for each pig; pigs 25 to 40 pounds, 1 teaspoonfuj; 40 to 
100 pounds, 2 teaspoonfuls, over 100 pounds, 1 tablespoonful. 

With the evening feed give kerosene, linseed or castor oil in the same quanti- 
ties. 

In each case be sure to mix the oil or turpentine thoroughly with the slop. 

A worm remedy that can be purchased at most drug stores is santonin: Dis- 
solve one ounce in warm or hot water for 50 or 60 pigs weighing about 100 pounds 
each. Fast the pigs a few hours and feed remedy in the slop. Follow with a dose 
of globular salts to expel the worms. In a few days repeat the treatment. 



56 PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 



Marketing 



"This growing and feeding of hogs for market should become more common on 
the average farm. Too many farmers have the idea that the danger of cholera 
is too great to make any attempt at the growing of hogs for market, which is all 
wrong. There is nothing better than to be able to ship to market at one time a 
carload of choicely finished hogs which will always bring in a large amount of 
money with seemingly little expense." — A. J; Lovejoy. 



AGE TO MARKET THE HOGS. 

Early marketing means shorter risk from disease, quicker turning of money 
and less interest charges to be considered and more profitable gains. At the age 
of weaning, the pig is making very rapid and his most profitable growth. It takes 
fifty per cent more feed to put a pound of gain on a 150-pound pig than to put a 
pound on one weighing 40 pounds, and 83 per cent more feed for a 360-pound 
hog. Keep the pigs gaining rapidly while young on pasture and dairy by-products 
always supplemented with a grain ration. — Bulletin No. 74, Idaho. 



GRADING HOGS FOR SHIPMENT. 

Care should be taken by each shipper in sorting out a load of hogs for shipping 
to market. Where possible select hogs of even size, finish and quality, remem- 
bering that these are three of the essentials of a "market topping" consigiiment. 
Buyers make a special effort to buy hogs of this kind for the simple reason that 
they can estimate the dressed pork very closely. On the other hand, a load of 
hogs of assorted sizes and finish is hard to judge and consequently buyers make 
liberal allowances when buying. If you must ship mixed weights and sizes, your 
commission man will sort and classify so as to obtain the best possible price. 
In other words, in selecting your car for shipping, grade for quality and desirable 
weights. 



CO-OPERATIVE SHIPPING.^ 

In their effort to meet the demands for a better way to market live stock, 
farmers have hit upon the co-operative shipping idea. This idea has been devel- 
oped in the State of Minnesota to a greater extent than any other. Northwestern 
farmers have taken up the idea, and numerous shipping associations have been 
organized with very good results. These shipments have often been made up of 
hogs belonging to from 8 to 20 o'miers. They are kept separate in the yards and 
each lot sold upon its merits. The expenses are prorated and separate returns 
made to each owner. Detailed information will be sent on request regarding the 
organization of co-operative shipping clubs. 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 



57 








Almost Ready for Market. 



HOW TO KEEP POSTED ON THE MARKET. 

Probably the best way to keep in touch with the market is through the use 
of a good market paper and your commission merchant. Reliable information 
can always be obtained also from the Portland Union Stock Yards Co. 

MARKET YOUR HOGS ALIVE. 

It has been the custom of some producers to market their hogs dressed instead 
of alive. This is a losing method and the prices realized are nearly always less 
than prices obtained for live hogs. Besides the disagreeable labor involved the 
producer runs the risk of spoilage and a market that is very uncertain. From a 
great number of tests it has been found that here on the Coast the yield in 
dressing hogs is approximately 75%. With this as a basis, the following table 
shows what dressed hogs must sell for, on the farm, without any expense whatever 
added: 

Live price. Dressed price. 

S5.00 S6,66 

5.50 7.33 

6.00 8.00 

6.50 8.66 

7.00 9.33 

7.50 10.00 

8.00 10.66 

8.50 11.33 

9.00 12.00 

9.50 12.66 

10.00 13.33 



TIME TO MARKET. 

The best time to market hogs is when they are finished and are at a point 
where they refuse to put on profitable gains. It is always best to sell them at 
this time. Do not speculate on the market; it is regulated solely by supply and 
demand and is as apt to decline as advance. 



58 PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 

SHIPPING SUGGESTIONS. 

If hogs must be driven in the summer time for any distance to the shipping 
point, drive them slowly and preferably in the cool of the morning. 

In hauling hogs see that air spaces are provided between the upper and lower 
bed of the wagon. A hog rack will often pay for itself where many hogs are to be 
hauled. 

Be sure to have your car ordered of the transportation company in ample time 
so that there will be no delay at the loading chute. 

Hogs should be fed a light, dry feed before loading in the cars. 

Sand is an ideal bedding for hogs in shipping. In the summer time wet the 
sand thoroughly before the hogs are placed in the car. In the winter straw may 
be used instead of the sand. 

In the summer time it is a good plan to nail a cleat on the inside of the car so 
as to close the bottom crack. After loading the hogs and cleating the door, wet 
the bottom of the car thoroughly before the train starts. See that the floor is 
wet en route at every opportimity. Be careful not to throw water on the backs of 
overheated hogs. 

When shipping it is well to have the hogs accustomed to the car a short time 
before the train is moved. See that they are not switched about too much en route 
to market. 

At each stopping point see that the heavy hogs do not get in cramped positions 
or crowded in one end of the car. 

Shippers should, when possible, load their hogs so that they arrive at the 
stock yards in time so that they can be unloaded, fed and watered by the time the 
market opens on the day of arrival. 

Do not feed the hogs abnormally just before loading — ^sudden changes in the 
ration is at any time more or less harmful. 

The greatest loss in shipping usually occurs immediately after loading and 
while the car is being switched. It is well to have an attendant with the car at this 
time to prevent the hogs from fighting and piling up by being frightened by the 
movement of the car. 

Never use a prod pole or club on hogs when loading (or at any other time). 
If you do, the result will be a lot of bruised animals. A garden hose split in three 
pieces, attached to a stick makes an excellent whip for hogs. 



WEIGHTS FOR MARKETING. 

Regarding the average weight a packer says: "The ideal average for our 
local needs is 170 to 225 pounds alive. We would prefer to buy all our hogs this 
average if possible. At present this average is selling at a premium all over the 
country, due to the fact that the trade demands lighter average meats, and if we 
could be assured of hogs not to exceed 225 pounds, with regular supply weighing 
from 170 to 200 poimds, we would feel we had gained quite a step in procuring what 
we wanted in the way of raw material." 



MARKET GRADES OF HOGS. 

Hogs when sold and quoted in the market papei's are usually graded and 
designated by certain terms, such as prime, rough, etc. 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 59 

The hogs bought on the Portland market are classified as follows: 

Prime Lights. The term prime refers to the degree of finish and maturity 
shown by the hog. To grade as prime lights hogs must be highly finished and 
give evidence of being fitted to a high degree of perfection. Prime hogs are those 
which come up fully to the highest standard of their class. They show to a marked 
degree their excellence of breeding. It is just here that pure bred market hogs, 
or at least the use of a pure-bred sire, show to the best effect. They at all times 
command the top of the market. The range of weights in this class is 170 to 225. 
. Prime Strong Weights. Have the same characteristics as prime lights 
except that the weights run from 225 to 250 pounds. They command the same 
prices as prime lights. 

Good to Prime Mixed. A little less in quality and finish than prime. Their 
weights run from 150 to 250 pounds. In point of price they usually average five 
to fifteen cents under tops. 

Rough Heavy Packing. Heavy hogs are classed as weighing more than 250 
pounds. Heavy hogs are decreasing in number from year to year, since the pro- 
ducer realizes that the most money is in raising lighter hogs. This class on this 
market usually includes old sows, barrows, and stags. Price ranges from 50 cents 
to $1.00 under tops. Smooth heavies of course command the best prices. 

Pigs. Are classed as weighing from 100 to 125 poimds. They are young, as 
their weight would indicate. They are too small and their condition is usually 
unfit for curing. They usually bring from 25 cents to $1.00 imder the top prices. 

Skips. Light weight pigs under 60 to 75 pounds — are really unfit for market 
purposes and are cut by buyers from $1.50 to $2.00 per hundred under prime lights. 



FUNCTIONS OF THE STOCK YARDS. 

The business of the Stock Yards consists of receiving, yarding, feeding, 
watering, weighing and forwarding or reshipping live animals. It neither buys, 
sells nor slaughters live stock, but simply maintains a place for buyer and seller 
to meet. The shipper to a central live stock market has the advantage of many 
competitive buyers. 

The records kept by the Stock Yards Company are accessible at any time to 
any one interested. Daily market reports for the information of shippers are 
made up from the scale tickets showing prices received. These market reports 
are published daily by the various newspapers. 



THE COMMISSION MAN. 

Hogs are usually consigned to one of the commission firms doing business at 
the Stock Yards. The charges by these firms are small, and compared with the 
amount of work done by them are exceedingly well worth while. Salesmen for 
commission houses keep in close touch with the buyers and are in an advantageous 
position to get all the stock is worth. 



60 PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 

NOTES. 



PACIFIC-NORTHWEST SWINE HUSBANDRY 
NOTES. 



61 



THE PORTLAND UNION 
STOCK YARDS COMPANY 

have on hand various pamph- 
lets and folders relating to 
many phases of livestock mar- 
keting which they will be glad 
to send to those interested. 
Write to them when you 
expect to market livestock 
so that you can be properly 
informed as to market 
prices prevailing. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



002 835 059 4^ 



